Loopholes
by mscyanide
Summary: The vampire diaries following on from the season four final and going into the Originals spin off series. Mostly focusing on Klaus and Caroline. Pairings: Klaroline / Delena . AU but as much to canon as it can be. Rated M for language. This is my first story here and no beta so please point out any errors.
1. Chapter 1

A part of him didn't want to know, it wished to believe in the twisted fairy tale that was his current existence. It wanted to believe as wholeheartedly as his older brother. Elijah appeared to believe in earnest; the dutiful brother, who was willing to let his own love die in order to further Klaus' cause and now claimed to have left her to be at his side once more, believed. So then…what if it was a lie? What was one to think of the dutiful brother then?

Was it simply a case that Elijah was so set upon Klaus' "redemption" that he was willing to believe any tall tale that furthered such a cause? Or was it all just fabrication? Had the dutiful brother finally reached his limit and taken up with the enemy to be rid of _Him_. Had Klaus pushed his brother so far as to turn him irrevocably against him?

There was a part of him that went so far as to hope that this happy family portrait that Elijah peddled was real because if it wasn't…if it wasn't…then there was no coming back from this, not for the witches, not for Haley and certainly not for his brother.

So that part of him didn't want to know, that part of him wanted to believe that his drunken one-nighter was telling the truth, that the witches were telling the truth, but mostly that Elijah was – _always and forever_.

A thousand years of betrayal, manipulation and blood had taught him however that when he went so far as to hope for something to be true it enviably wasn't. So though a part of him was begging to embrace ignorance, a larger part, which had held governance for the most of his existence, demanded answers.

Which had led him to the house that wasn't.

It was eerie; everything seemed hazy, like a memory from youth. One or two details perfectly clarified, but the majority obscured. Klaus knew it wasn't real, it was a fabrication perpetrated on him by his own mind - an invention created to make something familiar from the unfathomable.

Klaus knew fear, he had lived with it long enough, but this, what he was feeling now, was something else. He was beyond afraid, he was petrified and yet…he had to know. And so he stepped closer and then, without knowing how it came to be, he was inside.

There was a woman before him and as obscured as his surroundings were she was vivid. They stared at each other unspeaking, time seemed to creep along. Minutes dragging like hours as the silence extended.

"How long has it been Niklaus?" she startled him, and though he gave no outward sign, she chuckled darkly.

"Now I wonder…" she trailed off and the silence stretched. She moved closer or perhaps the space between simply shortened, he could not be certain. "Are we not to play today? Will you stand silent before me and force me to demonstrate my wares?" she smiled widely.

"I am to be a father," he told her his expression as dark as her smile was wide.

She laughed lightly, like a stream skipping over stones. "Since when do you have a sense of humor?"

"The witches of New Orleans assure me it is true."

The smile disappeared and she was suddenly within touching distance her black eyes boring into his. "Witches you say?" she moved back slowly, breaking eye contact. "What of the mother?"

"Werewolf…drunken one night stand." he shrugged noncommittally.

She circled like a large cat, "you have a bit of a problem."

He smirked, "you don't say."

"Hmmm, werewolves can procreate, vampires cannot." she stopped in front of him again, head cocked to one side.

"I'm a hybrid; they say the pregnancy is one of nature's loopholes." He spread his hands bowing slightly.

She snorted rudely, "you shouldn't believe everything witches tell you, they are entirely too gullible." She smirked knowingly, "you disappoint me."

"Elijah believes it, and I heard the heartbeat." He informed her and waited.

She dropped her head, and just for a moment the smirk slipped, "I see." She began slowly pacing back and forth before him. "So you want to know if your brother compelled the werewolf into believing that you and only you could be the father of the unborn burden or if the witches have played him for a fool?"

"Or should I be buying cigars?" for reasons he couldn't comprehend he asked.

"Did you happen to nail the werewolf in the middle of full coven of chanting witches?"

"Not that I recall"

She stopped pacing and smirked. "None of mine participating?"

"I think I would have noticed."

"Well then, on to your brother…betrayal or stupidity?" she held out her hand to him and he took it reluctantly. He felt a faint vibration run through him and watched as her eyes became a darker shade of black. "Neither."

He felt a chill creep up his spine, and he who hadn't been cold in a thousand years shivered.

She was not smirking now and looking in her eyes it seemed so unlikely that such a being could have ever smiled. She was cut from stone, her eyes a black abyss, voice was as icy as the grave. "You will have to go back, claim ignorance."

He felt as though he had missed a part of the conversation, "and why would I do that?"

Her eyes lightened ever so slightly, the face softened as the voice warmed "do you need any other reason than that I am telling you to?" The semblance of smile drifted across her face.

He sneered and her eyes narrowed in response.

"Whatever you may think, you are only here because someone sent you." She looked at him expectantly.

He nodded once in understanding. "Marcel is monitoring the witches somehow."

"So you are to discover how to withdraw Marcel's yoke and in exchange they will protect your unborn heir. " Her lips pressed together.

"I thought we just established it isn't mine." He managed a small smile.

"Indeed. Desperate times and all that." She patted his hand almost consolingly and then she abruptly inclined her head, her eyes almost sparkling. "I want to meet her."

He was baffled, "why do you want to meet Hayley?"

She laughed, slapping his arm lightly. "I wouldn't. I want to meet _her_." Curiosity danced in her eyes.

His expression darkened measurably. "No."

She smiled so broadly she put him in mind of the clinically insane. "I _want _to meet _her_, so you can have her come to me, or…"

He found himself outside glowering at the house that wasn't. He turned and walked away, back to New Orleans as instructed, hoping that by doing what he was told she would forget her sudden curiosity.

Of course that was as much of a fairy tale as his unborn heir.

* * *

The buildings before her had seemed somehow regal every other time she had stood before them, but now they just looked old, tired…dull…just like everything else. The world had dimmed, it was missing something essential, something as vital as oxygen to a human, but it seemed as though she was the only one that noticed. Everywhere she looked she saw the blissfully ignorant, the air vibrated with nervous excitement of freshman at their first day at college.

She was meant to be one of them, this was supposed to be a moment of wonder that first step into a bright new world, but it wasn't, _she_ wasn't

Not for the first time she wondered why she came back, she had escaped; taken her mother away as promised seen just a glimpse of that world Klaus had spoken of. She had been happy, her mother had been happy, so why on earth did they ever come back? Summer break had been blissful, everyone had been well, everyone had been happy, and the world it was full of genuine beauty. It was as close to perfect as she had thought she could ever get, but then…

Sheriff Forbes needed to get back to her flock, the town needed her and wasn't Caroline supposed to go do the human thing with Elena and Bonnie? Get a degree, meet new people, have fun? Wasn't she supposed to want those things that people her age wanted? _Well, yes mum, that was the plan. _And so, she came back and that's when it all just ended.

Of course, it was over before then she just hadn't realised it. She should have, she knew that, but somehow, she just didn't. She'd heard it in Bonnie's voice, she'd seen it in her eyes, she knew. On some level Caroline had known, but she wasn't ready to acknowledge it. Caroline had needed more time, more space between disasters she reasoned, because there was no other explanation as to why she could take her mother and go out into the world and enjoy herself so soon after one of the most important people in her life had died.

Bonnie had _died_, and on some level Caroline had known, she had to have because otherwise how would she have just smiled unquestioning when Jeremy told her that Bonnie was spending her summer with Abby? How did it not alarm her that all through summer break Bonnie was out of contact? Bonnie, who she had rarely gone a day without speaking to, was gone and if she didn't know, why didn't that terrify her?

So she knew, on some level or other she _knew_, but that didn't stop her world from crumbling when Elena and Jeremy turned up at her door step upon her return to that hellhole formally known as Mystic Falls. Her world had shifted on its axis the moment they told her; colour fled from the world, everything just went away, and her heart shattered. Yet somehow, it was her that was wrapping her arms around them, her that was comforting them. She had lost, as she always did, and she had comforted those that had gained.

Yes, Elena and Jeremy had lost Bonnie too, but it wasn't the same. Jeremy got his life back, Elena got her brother, what did Caroline get?

She had laughed later, when she was alone, she had laughed until she cried and then she just couldn't stop. She wailed, she riled and she raged. Oh how she raged. And then she stopped, she stopped and she didn't feel like she could ever start again.

When Tyler arrived hours later she had managed a smile, she had hugged him tightly, she had told him how she had missed him and writhed beneath him when he took her to bed. And if he didn't notice how that smile didn't reach her eyes, how her hug was more desperate than loving, how her voice sounded hollow and her moans forced, then what did it matter? He was _there;_ he had come back for _her_.

So she gave Tyler what he needed and then she did what she always did, she smiled and was strong so that others didn't have to be. And Elena, who had lost, but not nearly as much - not even close - she was allowed to fall apart again and all those people that orbited her like the sun stood back while Caroline, who could barely breathe when she was alone, comforted her, piecing her back together and delivering her back to them.

Only alone and once with her mother did Caroline let herself properly grieve. Her mother had cried with her and then watched her fall to pieces with a concerned expression that made Caroline feel somehow guilty. So barring that one moment of weakness with her mother, she had played the bright bubbly girl of old. It was all an act though, she didn't feel it; she felt empty and alone.

Where was her other best friend? She had gone to talk to Stefan once or twice, but he had problems of his own, what with the whole losing the love of his life to Damon thing and she couldn't bring herself to add to it. He looked kind of like she felt, he seemed to ooze darkness and she found herself wanting to be anywhere but in his company. She felt bad about that too, but nowhere near as bad as felt about Bonnie.

What had she been doing when Bonnie was busy sacrificing herself? She'd been busy planning one of those human rights of passage, like college was supposed to be.

Whitmore College, not too far out of the jurisdiction of the hellhole, was supposed to be a shared experience. Bonnie, Elena (post compulsion acceptance) and Caroline were meant to be here together, that was the whole point in going to a school so close. Caroline had eternity to go Stamford, Berkley or any other of the colleges that had accepted her she had reasoned, but she had only one chance to do it the first time and she wanted to do it with Bonnie and to a lesser extent Elena too. She would stay close to her mother as an added bonus.

Right now, however, she wished she was miles away. Whitmore so too close and her wounds were too fresh. She never should have come back, not to a world without the best of her best friends. She sighed heavily.

"Get busy living, or get busy dying," she muttered, plastered on a sunshine disposition and went to find her new roomy Elena.


	2. Chapter 2

Silas sat in the Salvatore mansion, glass of bourbon in hand ruminating on his tattered plans. The older doppelganger had taken his cure, the Bennett witch was six feet under, and the veil was back up. Aside from the small pleasure he derived in knowing that his own doppelganger was currently desiccating at the bottom of the falls and each and every one of his so called friends hadn't seemed to notice he was no longer among them, the joy seemed to have evaporated from the world. Things had been going to plan, right up until they weren't, and now he wasn't sure how to fix it.

Logic dictated that he use the limited resources remaining, mainly his unique position of a member of the ingrates responsible for his current predicament and get them to fix it for him, beginning with resurrecting the Bennett witch. Why not have those that demolished his future resuscitate it? They all seemed positively jubilant to participate in any idiotic plan one or another of their number thought up in the past, if Stefan's boring tirades in his journals were anything to go by, so why not have them leap into their graves for his benefit?

He was honestly surprised that he hadn't already been approached to help in a crusade to bring back Bennett. Surely they would fight for the witch as least half as hard as they did Elena. Wouldn't they? He tipped back his glass sculling back the remainder of his drink as the dark haired moron strutted across the living room with his over inflated ego displayed to best advantage.

"Aren't you supposed to be spreading your wings at college with Blondie and Elena?" he asked with all the self-importance such an ant could muster.

"We need to do something about Bonnie."

Damon's eyes widened, rolling briefly, "you heard Jeremy, just what do you think we can do?"

Silas paused, "she brought back Jeremy, perhaps if we had more witches…"

"Witchy died in that act, I don't think there'll be a lot of volunteers." He interrupted.

_Volunteers_? Silas laughed to himself, no wonder they went from one disaster of their making to another. _Volunteers. Ha! _Damon was looking at him strangely and he figured he must have left an unacceptable delay for a response. "No harm in asking, is there?"

"Just who would we ask? Not like we have a bunch of witches on speed dial."

"Klaus?" he ventured.

Damon laughed, "no chance that Klaus would do anything we asked." He paused, "we could get Blondie to ask him."

"Well, then, let's go see my new college." He rose from his seat and headed to the door without further discussion. He heard the footfalls as Damon followed. _Much too easy._

* * *

"All done!" Caroline smiled brightly surveying their newly organised dorm room. Elena smiled wide in return and Caroline's smile reached her eyes, for a moment forgetting. But that moment was over as soon as Damon and Stefan stepped into the room.

"Hey Blondie," Damon smirked before a more genuine smile claimed his features as he pulled Elena in for a quick kiss "Elena."

Stefan merely nodding to each in greeting.

"Damon, Stefan, welcome to our new home," she smiled spreading her arms wide in greeting as though their intrusion didn't damper her mood. In reality she felt anything but welcoming, a foreboding spreading over her skin like a rash. Stefan inclined his head, his Tuesday face on display as he closed the door and took a sit by her desk.

A little voice told her now was the time to run, it urged her to get the hell out of there.

"Sooo.." Damon droned, "we were wondering if you were still in touch with the Big Bad." His eyebrows raised, smirk spread wide across his face.

Caroline really didn't want to ask why, so she guessed she should have been grateful that Elena did, but somehow she just kind of felt like hitting her. Whether that was before or after she rammed a stake through Damon's heart, she couldn't decide.

"We need some witchy assistance and we thought of your guy," he moved around the room picking things up seemingly with the express purpose of putting her things out of place.

She sighed, "What is it this time?"

"Bonnie," Stefan responded his voice low and without inflection.

Caroline didn't know why, but she flinched as though his voice assaulted her. "No," she said before she even really thought about it. Elena's mouth fell open, her eyes wide with shock at the abruptness of it.

"What do you mean no?" Damon asked.

"I'm not asking Klaus," she paused while every eye in the room bore into her. "I just can't do it anymore." Her voice was so soft if they hadn't been vampires they would not have heard her.

"You can't do what anymore?" Damon's voice slapped her.

"We do these things Damon and we think it's for the best, but somehow more people end up dying. I love…loved Bonnie, she was my best friend and I miss her like crazy, but there's a reason she told Jeremy not to tell us she was dead. She didn't want us trying one of our hare-brained schemes to bring her back, because she knew that the chances were high that someone else would have to die for that to happen. We do these things, and it just makes things worse. We make things worse."

You could have heard a pin drop. Elena looked stunned, but there was a touch of guilt behind her eyes. Damon was looking at Elena as though she was about to break down, and Stefan, who she could see in her peripheral vision looked downright livid. She found herself unconsciously moving away from him, closer to the door and escape. Stefan stood and it was a though he'd slipped a mask on his face how quickly his expression calmed. "This is Bonnie we are talking about Caroline," he breathed softly.

She nodded her head slightly, "I know who we are talking about Stefan, she was my best friend, I killed twelve witches for her remember?" Her voice was snide and she felt the slow burn of anger building within her, it was a relief somehow – outside the routine of emptiness. She almost felt alive.

"Then what are a few more?" he said oh so casually.

And oh so _wrong_. Caroline blinked, hard, and she looked at him, really looked at him and she didn't see Stefan. She saw something Ripper like, something closer to dead than alive, and she wondered why each time she was in his company she felt like running. "What happened to you?" she asked horrified.

He looked baffled, but it seemed constructed to her eyes. Damon looked at her strangely, "What happened to you Blondie?"

Elena looked accusingly at her and she felt like the outsider, the one who wasn't good enough, she felt like she was letting everyone down. Even so, she knew that she was right, Bonnie couldn't want to be saved and as much as it pained her to live without her she was going to do it because that is what Bonnie would want. That's why she didn't turn it off, that's why she lived in this half-life devoid of colour. Who was she to presume to know better than her friend?

And then it occurred to her, where were the others? Why weren't Tyler and Jeremy here? Hell Jeremy could talk to Bonnie; he could ask her if there was a way to bring her back. So why have this little tête-à-tête without him? Without _her_?

"Where's Jeremy?" she gave voice to her thoughts.

"Well duh, he's at school," Damon rolled his eyes.

"Did you ask him?" she threw back at them.

"Ask him what Blondie?" Damon seemed almost bored as though she wasn't worth his time.

"Did you ask him if Bonnie knew of a way to come back? If she even wanted us to look for one? Did you ask him how many people would have to die for me to get my best friend back? DID YOU ASK HIM?" Her voice had slowly increased in volume until she was shouting, she didn't even realize until she was spitting the final question in Damon's face.

"You're losing it Blondie." Stefan and he exchanged a knowing glance.

"Did you?" she asked again.

Elena responded, "He said she told him we should let her go."

Caroline might have asked why she wasn't included for the conversation, but she knew why. Jeremy wasn't her favorite person at the moment, she just couldn't look at him without wanting to snap his neck. He had taken the space in the world that had been reserved for Bonnie and she kind of hated him for it. Knowing that it wasn't his fault, that it was Bonnie's decision really didn't make it any better. It also didn't help that he hadn't really lost Bonnie, she was still with him. So she'd just tried to avoid being at the same places as him, and she wasn't ashamed to admit that she flashed away whenever he entered her sphere. Killing Jeremy Gilbert wouldn't solve anything, she just sort of thought it might make her feel better. She found herself laughing, not because it was funny, more because it wasn't and she had cried enough this lifetime. The laughter choked her throat when her eyes settled upon Stefan once more; there was just something about her friend that she couldn't put her finger on. He was almost repellent.

He was one of her best friends, she was his sober sponsor, she was supposed to help him when he fell off the rails and something told her that he had...yet he wasn't bathing in the blood of her fellow students. Why did he seem so very _wrong_? Why didn't anyone else seem to see it? Had he always been like this and it took Bonnie dying for her to really see him? She was uneasy in his presence when she never had been before, not even when he was the Ripper. Something had changed inside him and he seemed irrevocably broken. Was Elena's love the only thing that had sustained him she wondered, is this what happens when everything you hope for dies?

And there was the guilt again.

"Stefan," she looked him searchingly in the eyes, but all she saw was darkness. She realized then that she had lost him too. How had she not realized until now? What kind of friend misses something like that? "I'm sorry Stefan, I really am."

Damon and Elena looked baffled; Stefan shrugged his shoulders as though to tell them he had no idea what she was on about. "We should go," he said motioning Damon towards the door.

She moved out of the way and they left her and Elena alone.

"I'm going for a walk," she told Elena who gave her a small smile in response. Caroline felt like the world had constricted somehow, the sky falling, she needed to breathe.


	3. Chapter 3

New Orleans had always been among his favorite places on the planet, but he found his enjoyment of it limited at present. He was exasperated, four long months he'd been playing Marcel's game pretending to be precisely what he could never be, content to follow and the insufferably _King_ had managed to keep the secret safe. Klaus was no closer to discovery what it was that held the witches prisoner, he doubted he'd ever lived four less productive months in his existence and that included his time under the Hunter's curse. What was worse was that he was required to not only keep company with Marcel's lackeys but play nice when everything in his being demanded that he rip the insolent pricks' hearts from their chests.

Even bleeding human's dry had done little to elevate his frustration; still …there was no harm in trying. So while he quietly seethed in the darkest corner of a dive that the formerly pretentious, but now just very dead, owner had the audacity to call a bar he alternated between sipping from the finest bottle of amber fluid he could find in the cesspool and sucking out the last few drops of life from the only woman still unfortunate to be breathing in the place. He figured if nothing else he had done the health department a favour in closing down the place, he'd seen sewers with less grime. He couldn't prevent the desolate sigh escaping his lips as he heard the familiar footfalls coming closer, followed by the unmistakable scent and semblance that somehow managed to darken his already abysmal mood.

"Big brother, what a pleasant surprise, I'd offer you a drink but it appears the bar has run dry," he smirked sculling back the last of the bottle before tossing it behind him, the dull thud it made upon landing indicating it found a body rather than the floor. He glanced at the woman propped up beside him, at some point she had left the land of the living without him noticing, one light shove and she joined the other corpses littering the floor – for some reason that lightened his mood and he chuckled softly.

Elijah didn't appear to be amusing his eyes narrowed and mouth down-turned a disdainful manner which Klaus was all too familiar with. "I take it you haven't made any progress."

It was more of a statement than a question so Klaus didn't waste any calories in responding. He waited out the judgmental silence with a raised eyebrow and self-satisfied smirk that he knew would irritate big brother no end.

Elijah pursed his lips together before sighing heavily, "the witches grow impatient brother; I'm worried that they may do something drastic."

It took all Klaus' self-control not to burst out laughing, as it was he didn't manage to prevent the mirth from dancing in his eyes. Elijah visibly blanched, Klaus wasn't sure if it was for worry that his indifference would ruin his brother's dream of rebuilding their family around the newest bastard or if he was despairing that he was beyond redemption at this point. Klaus felt inclined to put an end to his brother's fantasies but the flash of a pair of black eyes made him think better of it. "I am _trying_ Elijah, Marcel is not cooperating and despite all his lofty speeches about how they are family it appears that he hasn't trusted his minions with that particular secret."

"It's been six months, and we have little over three months left," he paused, "The longer this continues the greater chance of discovery. What do you think the witches will do if pressed?"

_Maybe they will do me a favor, kill the bitch along with her unborn bastard. _How he wanted to just tell Elijah that, tell him anything, but he'd have to just add that to the growing list of annoyances this pretense required him to swallow. If at the end of all this, he wasn't the King of New Orleans and blissfully happy he swore he would bathe the city in blood.

Elijah seemed briefly mollified, too briefly really, "what happened to every King needing an heir?"

His fingers flexed involuntarily, the urge to reach across and tear out his brother's heart agonizing. He'd never wanted children, _never_, but for the transient instant it had been alluring. One being in this miserable world whose love for him might be completely and utterly unreserved - a shining light always and forever on his side.

Of course, knowing his luck the little bastard would have deposed the King first chance it got. So it really was for the best that children were not to be a part of his future, still…there was that moment. "I know what I said Elijah and I am doing all that I can."

Elijah's hand swept the room grandly, "I can see that."

Klaus wondered what it would be like to be an only child. "The witches won't do anything brother, I am their only chance and they know it," he offered his best attempt at consolation, hoping Elijah would just bugger off.

Elijah stood and nodded, "we need this Niklaus." He turned to leave, but then paused and turned back. "Haley is getting bigger, have you considered going to see them?" Elijah looked almost happy, eyes light in remembrance.

Klaus felt his latest meal churning in his stomach; he surveyed the room to avoid his brother's eyes when he answered. "It's best I keep my distance, wouldn't want to alert Marcel, now would we?" He felt more than saw Elijah's nod of acceptance. Klaus got up abruptly, "speaking of, I best get back. Clean this up will you?" he didn't wait for a response, of course Elijah would clean it up. Didn't he always?

* * *

Somewhere in the last month she'd started again, she wasn't sure when, it was probably a gradual process but there was a pivotal moment she could point to when she knew that she was going to be okay. She'd just been to a lecture, on what she couldn't really recall, and then a butterfly settled upon her hand. A feather light touch alerted her to its presence and just prior to following through on her natural instinct to shake off its contact and send it on its way she noticed just how blue it looked. It wasn't the washed out color that the sky seemed to her eyes, it was real blue - the color that existed when Bonnie had - and not just that the creature was dotted with red and orange and…was that a little bit of brown when it pulled its wings up? It was beautiful, really truly beautiful and suddenly, after operating on autopilot for much too long, Caroline was in control, breathing…dare she call it alive?

The creature that had brought color back to her world left her much too soon, but as he eyes followed it she had taken in her surroundings and found that the world around her was as bright as the butterfly. Without realizing it she had smiled, not one of the fake ones that had placated her friends, but a real one and it made her as vibrant as the world she again resided in. Following that moment she went from going through the motions to actually enjoying college life. She had gotten involved, she had made friends, she had grabbed life by the balls and she regained something of herself in the process. There were still times when she felt like crawling into the fetal position and mourning her losses, but became fewer and further between.

Whether she was a better actress than she had thought or Tyler and her friends were more self-absorbed than she would have imagined, no one seemed to have noticed her return to the living. She didn't mind, well okay, she did kind of mind that the people who were supposed to care about her couldn't tell the difference between her empty smiles and her real ones, but it wasn't like complaining about it would change anything. So she decided it wouldn't matter that they didn't notice, it didn't mean they didn't care, they were probably consumed by their own grief. So she would take the high road, forgive and forget, her friends loved her and she was a glass half full type of person anyway.

Of course just because they didn't notice things, didn't mean she was oblivious. She knew that her friends were hiding something from her, and it didn't take a whole lot of brain power to figure out what that something was. They were clearly still looking into the whole bringing Bonnie back regardless of the cost angle, she didn't blame them, she just didn't agree with them. So while they held their clandestine meetings on how to screw up the world further she pretended to be blissfully unaware and entirely too caught up in her new life.

It was easy enough to avoid that reality, firstly when she said friends it was really only Elena, Stefan and Damon who were a part of the how best to destroy the world as we know it plan, the others had their own – equally valid reasons, in her opinion – to stay clear. Secondly, it seemed that all discussions on how to end the world this time were held off campus in the little town with the highest number of animal attacks in known history, a place she was happily determined to avoid till the world really did end.

All in all, easy to pretend and avoid getting involved in the newest plan to get them all killed.

Less easy to avoid was that niggling guilt that she had let Stefan down on a colossal scale. Okay so he missed her massive meltdown, but he had reason to be less than observant, and she'd already determined it was best to forgive and forget. Stefan was clearly suffering, she wasn't exactly convinced that it was wholly the result of losing out to Damon, but he had clearly needed her and she wasn't there for him.

She had the perfect excuse, complete and utter mess, but now that she'd patched herself up she felt that she should be doing something, anything to help him. Problem was that aside from her new found enthusiasm for all things college and his continued mission to end the world which left little free time for a heart to heart with your bestie, there was a part of her that kind of, sort of wanted him to fix himself. She didn't really know why that was, well she did, but she didn't really want to admit it.

Still, she had made every effort to seek him out, but they never seemed to cross paths. She suspected that he was avoiding her and though Elena assured her that wasn't the case, it needled her. He had always…almost always been there for her so she could understand that he might be feeling just a wee bit offended that she wasn't there for him of late. She conceded that he might possibly be feeling she let him down, perhaps even that she betrayed him, but it wasn't intentional.

Yes, she hadn't stuck around to console him after Elena's big decision instead roaming the world with her mum, and then she hadn't sought him out on her return, and then she flat out refused to help them with the end of the world plan, but did that really mean he had to avoid her like the plague?

Of course, she hadn't forced the issue had she now? And why was that Caroline? The answer was getting awfully close to those things that she didn't really want to contemplate; deep down she was just a little too happy that he was avoiding her because his latest persona kind of made her skin crawl. The fact was the longer he avoided her, the longer she could escape confronting those ominous feelings that threatened her reclaimed balance. Just how bad a person did that make her?


	4. Chapter 4

Her dress, yes she did wear them on occasion, was sticking to her body like gum on a shoe. She was stinking hot and so far from comfortable it was absurd. She'd have gone outside in search of a breeze to alleviate her discomfort, but her jailers wouldn't allow it. No popping out to the shops, no drinking, no partying, no freaking way, and no freaking life. Not now that everyone was oh so concerned for her health and well-being, well, not so much her.

Nothing was about her anymore.

And if she ever needed a reminder of why her life was no longer hers to do with what she willed she need only spare a second and look down to where her stomach once resided. The _magical miracle baby _was well and truly thriving, but she wasn't doing as well. Captivity didn't agree with her, having spent the majority of her life drifting from one place to the next she'd determined she simply didn't do well in one place for too long, and she'd been stuck in the shack in the bayou for much too long. If she needed proof of that she only had to reflect upon how thrilled she was every time someone deigned to visit her seeming she never received a visit from anyone she actually liked.

"So you're the were-slut," the stuck up British accent had a familiar ring to it.

Hayley turned to greet her latest guest, schooling her features in a bored veneer before scoffing softly. "And you must be the original bitch."

Rebekah's smile melted, "I'd be careful if I were you, right now you have a purpose, but not too much longer and…" She worked her way slowly around the room before turning back to Hayley smile back in place. "I don't imagine you'll be welcome at family dinners, the servants have more class."

Hayley shrugged her shoulders, "no great loss there."

The blonde flipped her hair back. "I thought you'd be prettier," she looked down her nose. "And cleaner," she smirked. "Now to more important matters, how is my nephew?"

Hayley couldn't hide her shock, "nephew?"

"Oh, didn't they tell you?" Rebekah laughed lightly. "It's a boy," her eyes fell to the burgeoning bump and for a split second Hayley thought she looked almost wistful.

Of their own accord Hayley's arms wrapped around her belly protectively. She looked down at her hands as though they were someone else's, since when was she motherly? Hayley put it down to the hormones, that and her life-long family ambitions – funny how things work out. She looked up to find the blonde original staring at her suspiciously. "What?"

"Best not get too attached," the blonde advised, her voice not sounding half as condescending as before, her expression almost sympathetic. "Don't forget whose child you are carrying Hayley. My brother is a self-absorbed traitorous bastard who isn't in to sharing; don't imagine that just because he's not visiting he won't be taking that kid the moment you pop it out." She paused, looking slightly awkward. "Is there anything you needed?"

Hayley wondered if the blonde was bi-polar. "They get me everything I need, can't have their leverage wasting away."

Rebekah nodded and smiled brightly, "well, I'll be off then. I'd like to say it was nice meeting you, well actually I wouldn't, so later."

"Yeah, later," Hayley addressed the empty space the blonde had occupied seconds before. "And back to the boredom that is my life," she sighed to herself. "Stupid freaking witches," she said louder hoping they would hear her. But alas, it was hours before anyone else bothered to enter her prison.

"So nice of you to come visiting Sophie," she rolled her eyes, wondering what the witch wanted from her now. "To what do I owe the honor?" she ground out.

Sophie looked grim. 'Klaus isn't making any progress."

Hayley didn't know what Sophie expected her to say, what could she say? Was she expected to do something? She'd been held prisoner in the bayou so long she figured she was eligible for a local's discount.

Sophie looked her up and down considering, "we might need to motivate him."

What the hell did that mean? She was seven months gone, what exactly would motivate the psycho freak more.

"There's a full moon in five days," Sophie said it like a death sentence.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" They couldn't seriously be considering making her turn, they had no idea what that would do the baby, hell they couldn't even figure out exactly what magic baby was. They'd told her that it should be avoided, told her they'd make sure it didn't happen.

"I'm sorry, but our options are limited."

And she really did sound sorry, Hayley mused. Just when she couldn't be more uncomfortable, she was going to be forced to excruciatingly break every bone in her body. _Hell no bitch!_ And just what did they think Klaus would do if the baby died? What would he do when Hayley was no longer useful? She wasn't ready to find out, thank you very much, so it was _not_ going to happen. "There's another option."

Hayley had Sophie's undivided attention. "In Mystic Falls…"

Sophie interrupted, "we know about the doppelganger, she's a vampire now, useless."

Hayley smiled coyly, happy in the knowledge that for the first time in months she was in control. "Your right he doesn't care about her, but her little blonde friend..."

Sophie scoffed, "he seems to have difficulty finding it within him to care about his son; do you really think he'd do anything for this girl?"

Witches were horrendously superior Hayley decided. "Cause you're such an expert on all things Klaus," those treacherous hands were back on her belly. "You stopped me from turning because you were worried that it might hurt whatever it is that I'm carrying, if you make me turn now you might kill it and then if Klaus doesn't tear you limp from limp, you'll be Marcel's little bitches till hell freezes over."

Sophie's stare was hard. "Tell me about this girl."

Hayley smiled, there was a brief moment when she wondered if she should feel bad, but it was fleeting. It was difficult to see a down side for her in pushing holier than thou Miss Mystics Falls under the bus. Klaus would be more motivated which in turn would increase at least her short term chances of survival, Caroline would once again be miles from Tyler which just might put an end to their love story, and definitely would if the witches should feel the need to demonstrate their resolve by delivering Caroline to the Other Side.

So really no down side, unless the psycho freak Klaus should discover she'd shared his dirty secret in which case she'd be very dead.

"Her name is Caroline Forbes, she's a vampire and Klaus is in love with her."

Hayley really hoped this wasn't one of those times she'd regret opening her mouth.

* * *

Silas hadn't made much in the way of progress. Bonnie was still dead, and he hadn't managed to find either a way to bring her back or another witch powerful enough to do what was required. He'd been well on his way to homicidal frustration, seriously considering ending Elena and Damon's existence each time they had one of their meetings to discuss the various things they hadn't accomplished this week, when it had occurred to him that he'd having waited two thousand years he could probably afford a little more patience. Wait a little bit longer to feel the satisfaction of forcing the Bennett witch to do his bidding prior to reuniting her with her loved ones in the afterlife, in a manner yet to be determined but certainly of a decidedly painful on account of the trouble she'd beleaguered him with.

Of course, if things were going to continue to move slower than it took him to reach his desiccated state he decided he needed a side project, a distraction if you will. From what he had learnt through his observations of Mystic Falls' residences, and the tedious ramblings of his doppelganger, if distraction was required it should generally be of the blonde variety.

Ms Caroline Forbes was a strange little creature, bubbly, bright, blood-sucking monster of the inner circle of hell that held the dubious distinctions of being loved by the only two Hybrids on the planet, and being Stefan Salvatore's best friend. Which meant, of course, that she was now _his_ best friend and as such didn't she have an obligation to keep him entertained?

Silas had had little to do with her since she had proved less than helpful in his endeavor to get his plan back on track, she had come to see him often and rung more frequently but he'd avoided contact. If she wasn't promoting his agenda he hadn't seen much point in indulging her incessant petitions for his time. In addition, the few times they had crossed paths before he had to rush off to a former engagement he noticed that she was looking at him strangely as though she might suspect that something unfortunate had happened to friend Stefan. With that in mind, the wiser option was surely to continue to avoid her and find another form of entertainment, but it was by nature a risk taker.

And so he found himself outside Ms Forbes dorm room fist paused to knock when the lady herself drew back the door greeting him with a large smile which he couldn't help but note didn't actually reach her eyes. "Stefan," she breathed, and somehow it sounded more like a question than a greeting, he wondered if it was subconscious on her part.

"Caroline," he smiled making every effort to put some warmth into it. "Are you busy?"

"No, not at all," she replied seemingly without a moment of hesitation smile still as bright as the sun.

He wasn't sure why, but he found her amusing. "I am sorry," he said solemnly, trying for the "it's Tuesday" look, not sure exactly what that entailed but hopeful he got it right.

Caroline's eyes widened and her smile slipped. "You…uh… what?"

"I am sorry Caroline," he reiterated. "I have been in a dark place of late, I pushed you away and I am sorry. You are my best friend." He smiled his first real smile since returning from his desiccated hell, angling for one of those delightful smiles she'd given him when he was in another's guise.

She smiled uncertainly, but pulled him towards her hugging him tightly. He felt her shiver slightly before she pulled away; she took his face between her hands staring deeply into his eyes as though she was searching for the meaning of life. Silas wasn't sure what it was that she was looking for, but he figured she must have found it as a smile tugged up the corners of her mouth travelling up to her eyes.

"Apology accepted." She clapped her hands, "so what did you want to do?"

"I am at your disposal for the evening," he bowed lowly.

She laughed, sounding like tinkling bells to his ears, "I'm alone tonight so I was just about to watch a movie."

"I will watch with you then," her smile turned slightly wicked and he sighed before continuing, "though I suspect I might regret it." He waited for her to move out of the doorway, but she didn't move. "Can I come in?" he asked with a laugh that sounded nervous even to his ears.

She looked somewhat embarrassed ducking her head and retreating into the room; she pointed to her bed "I'm on the right."

He moved the collection of junk food to the center of the bed and made himself comfortable whilst she grabbed the remote and settled on the other side. "Ready?"

He nodded and he found himself watching something called "The Notebook", which he had a sinking suspicion he wouldn't enjoy, but if it assuaged her doubts about him, he decided he would endure.

Half an hour in he felt himself relaxing in her company, tension leaving his body slowly sliding out of him and into the ether. It was surprising to him that anyone could have such an affect upon him, let alone the little blonde distraction. He had thought that this world, his purgatory, had no promise of joy left from that soul destroying moment when she was ripped from it. Yet, something told him that being Ms Forbes best friend might make his remaining time in purgatory more tolerable, she might perhaps offer more than light entertainment.

He watched as she became engrossed in the movie, completely oblivious to his presence. She was so easy to read, her emotions playing across her face more interesting to him than the movie, Caroline reminded him of _Her_. He wasn't sure what it was, something undefinable that brought to mind the love that he had lost. He took her hand, suddenly yearning for contact; she turned to him and met his eyes with a small smile.

"I missed you," barely above a whisper she voiced then returned her gaze to the screen leaving her hand in his.

Ms Caroline Forbes was surprising Silas decided. She was sunny, and he'd been in the dark for much too long.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note: Thanks to everyone who has added this story to their favorites/following and particularly to those who have reviewed, I very much appreciate it. **

She had that uneasy feeling that there was something important that she was forgetting, something buried in a corner of her brain that she couldn't retrieve, in that tantalizingly … frustrating … space just beyond ones grasp. It tied her up in a state of perpetual queasiness, not debilitating, not actually limiting in any way, but always there. Caroline knew that whatever she was forgetting … more like missing … wasn't going to be good, you didn't feel like your stomach was anxious to ascent your oesophagus for fluffy bunnies and rainbows, no it was a bad feeling, the worst.

Importantly, it was the kind of feeling she knew she really needed to share, silence would be rewarded with fire and brimstone she knew it in her bones. The problem was it was also the kind of thing she would have shared with Bonnie – the Witches area of expertise if you will. Weird feelings of impending doom … _doom? _ Well, impending _something _unpleasant.

In the absence of Bonnie, and in light of the fact that her Jeremy no contact policy was still very much in effect, she didn't know who to tell. Something told her that Stefan wasn't a good option, she didn't know why exactly, but he was most assuredly out. That left Tyler, Matt, Elena, Damon, her mum, and … dare she go there? Uh.

Tyler, she was certain would listen to her babble; give her an indulgent but ultimately dismissive smile before piloting them towards the nearest bed-like surface. Matt would listen patiently and do everything he could to help her, but could she really drag him into what might turn out to be yet another supernatural disaster after he had made it very clear that he wanted to be so far away from that kind of drama he thought he might be taking up residence in Switzerland. Elena, well, she was always willing to listen, always sympathetic, always concerned, but … just … Elena. Besides, she was happy and she hadn't been for the longest time, so just … no. Damon, sigh. Now, how the hell did he ever get on the list of people to consider anyway? She'd rather swallow razors than converse with the biggest dick she'd ever known about her feelings, he'd never let her forget it and it wasn't as though he was ever inclined to take something she said seriously. Her mother was semi available, but if this turned out to actually be something other than exiting the house without turning off the iron, Liz Forbes was the last person in the world that she wanted involved. And then there was her … uh … _friend_. Weren't friends supposed to be able to talk about things like this? And didn't foreboding feelings of doom kind of go hand in hand with Originals? He'd do everything he could to help her; last love and all that. Uh … on second thought … best not to go _there._

So back to the non-option option, if she could just push down that unbecoming petty grievance against Jeremy she'd been nursing like a cherished new born, surely she could make it through one awkward three-way. Swallow down the bitterness, take tight rein on the heart tearie outie urges and ask for the breath stealing tosser's help. Everyone was always saying she possessed some kind of supernatural control, so perhaps she should test it.

So she'd bite the bullet. _Can't be grudgy forever._

Of course, that meant a trip back to the town she was _never _going back to. Uh, it was unrealistic of her to think that she'd never go back; her mother still lived there after all. She'd just wished never could have lasted just a wee bit longer, hell, a lot longer. If she was going to talk to Little Gilbert she really had no choice, it wasn't like he would come to her, her name wasn't Elena - people wouldn't just drop everything and come a running every time she sneezed. Not that Elena sneezed anymore but, well … you get the point.

So … road trip! She was going, positively decided. _So there!_

Decision made, Caroline pulled on her jacket, picking up her purse on the way to the door suddenly eager to get it over with. She hauled the door open, rushed into the corridor pulling it shut behind her, and promptly ran straight into a muscular chest. Her breath expelled from her lungs in one harsh breath, "what the hell." Two strong arms steadied her.

"Going somewhere?" he grinned broadly, in that endearing blend of boyish and inappropriately suggestive.

"Tyler," she breathed as an answering smile spread across her face. "I thought you had class."

"Heard my girl had the afternoon off," his smile turned sweat smile before his lips searched hers out, touching softly.

"Can I meet you later?" she held onto her smile, but her nerves were raw, her skin almost tingling with the urge to be gone.

His eyes narrowed slightly, the smile dimming measurably, "where are you going?"

She wanted to say home, but it really didn't feel right to call it that anymore, she wasn't that person – it wasn't her life. "I'm going to Mystic Falls."

He looked surprised, but then the smile was back in place. "I'll come with you." He moved towards the stairs as though her consent was a forgone conclusion.

There was helpful and then there was just plain old annoying, and if she had wanted company she'd have invited him. "Can I meet you later," she looked up at him through her lashes twisting her hands together.

He sighed, running his hands through his hair suddenly looking irritated. "We've barely spent any time together the last two months Care, I miss you."

She bit her lower lip, running her teeth over it. "I miss you too, but I have classes and assignments and…"

He cut her off, "Stefan." His eyebrow raised, and somehow looking accusing.

She pursed her lips unimpressed, "I told you he needs my help, he's not been the same since graduation, I'm not sure he ever will be." She sighed. "Besides, you know most of the time I see him it's in classes."

He huffed, "yeah, cause he compelled them to change his schedule."

"So you're jealous of Stefan now?" her voice had gone up an octave. What the hell? Wasn't she allowed any male friends? Plain ol' werewolf Tyler wasn't this much of a dick, hell _pre-_werewolf Tyler wasn't this bad. Okay, so maybe he was, but … just … _argh!_

His jaw was locked, fists clenched, eyes like slits. "Is he going with you?"

She rolled her eyes, "no Tyler, he isn't going with me. I am going _alone_. Now, I love you and I will see you later." She brushed her lips against his ignoring the fact he didn't respond, then turned on her heel and left him standing in the hall. She really did love Tyler, well, when he wasn't being a prized dickhead. He was the love of her life, or if you believed her _friend_ the love of the moment and when he was in prize winning mode she was inclined to.

Down the stairs, a couple of quick hellos to her growing number of friends, one long conversation with one of more annoying of their number, and then out to the parking lot and humming in anticipation at the closeness of her goal. "Caroline," she heard him call out to her, but having finally reached her car she decided to pretend she didn't. And then, as though the universe had decided to test her patience she felt yet another set of hands upon her.

"Uh … seriously?" she muttered exasperated, turning to meet the latest hold up.

"I've been told frowning causes wrinkles," Stefan advised his green eyes alight with amusement.

Caroline sighed, "I'm in a hurry." She watched his smile dimmed and was reminded, yet again, that this was not the old Stefan. Old Stefan was so composed he could have had it trademarked; no way would Old Stefan have gotten offended if she was short with him let alone let it show. Old Stefan would have shrugged it off, but Not the Old Stefan …

Well, he always seemed one step away from out of control Ripper Stefan. It seemed to her that Old Stefan was like a fine china tea cup dropped from a great height and shattered beyond recognition and Not the Old Stefan was that cup remade. It wasn't the same – some pieces were even missing – yet the bones were there and if you squinted just right you might mistake it for the original, but it _wasn't_. It could _never_ be again. Not the Old Stefan was both stronger and more fragile than the Old Stefan.

Caroline's none too subtle attempt to get rid of Not the Old Stefan had clearly hurt his feelings, she sighed. "Sorry, people just keep holding me up and if I don't get this done now I might chicken out." She didn't actually want to go back to Mystic Falls after all.

"You're going home," he said with a nod of understanding before a grin broke out on his face. "Try not to open the Hellmouth whilst you're there Buffy."

Say what you will about Not the Old Stefan, but he made her laugh. No way was Old Stefan going to crack a Buffy joke, come to think of it, Old Stefan refused to watch a single episode let alone the entire series from start to end. "I'll do my best," she smiled widely.

"I'll see you later, drive safe Caroline," his hand grazed her cheek before he turned and left her.

Caroline jumped in her car before anyone else decided it was time for a heart to heart. She buckled her seat-belt, took a deep breath and then turned the ignition. While checking her mirrors she felt a tingling running up her spine as though she was being watched, as she backed her car out she saw Stefan in her peripheral vision his gaze intense and very much focused on her person. There was something familiar about the way that he was looking at her, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She turned in her seat to look at him directly, only to discover that he had gone. Ah well.

* * *

It had taken less time than she would have liked to reach her destination. Back in Mystic Falls, standing outside the Salvatore mansion she felt unbearably tense – there were few places she thought she'd least like to be, her sense of foreboding was in overdrive. "Suck it up, Caroline," she attempted to motivate herself to move forward. It took another ten minutes for her to get her feet moving forward and another five for her knuckles to rap on the large wooden door. Caroline had been waiting yet another five minutes before it occurred to her that she probably use her vampire senses and check if anyone was actually home, turned out neither Damon nor Jeremy were. Having come so far she wasn't about to turn around and she suspected that if she went back to the car she might be tempted to just keep going so she pushed the door open and entered the house. It was always somewhat surprising to her that they never bothered to lock their door, then again the people they didn't want inside tended to be of a kind that required an invitation. As she passed the threshold she was happy that Jeremy had given her one prior to her trip around the world, she couldn't have obtained one since her return as she had managed to avoid the place.

Caroline headed straight for Damon's alcohol supply and poured herself a tumbler full of his best Bourbon, "thanks Damon." She fired off a quick text to Jeremy advising him she was waiting for him, made herself comfortable on their couch, sipped her drink, and tried to ignore the growing turmoil of her stomach while she waited for him to get home.

After half an hour, and half the bottle, her impatience was boiling over. "Seriously, it's not like there's anywhere to go in this town! Where the hell are you?" she put down her now empty glass, jumped up from her seat and made her way back to the door. She swung open the door and found herself staring into a pair of surprised brown eyes in the face of a very attractive man. "Uh … Hi," she greeted lamely.

"Caroline," he drew her name out, practically enunciating each letter, a wide self satisfied grin spreading across his handsome face.

Caroline knew that kind of look, it was trouble; she drew back from the door, trying hard not to look like she was on the verge of making a run for it. Whether he was fooled or not was immaterial because as her senses went into overdrive she realized that he wasn't alone, and she very much was. The attack came, as they so often did, from behind her. And, as was the annoying norm, she was defenseless against it. Caroline's head exploded in pain and before she knew it she was on the ground holding her head in agony with no hope of preventing Mr. Handsome from sticking the syringe full of vervain into her neck. She wondered, not for the first time, why it always had to be her.

As darkness claimed her she remembered why that look of Stefan's was so familiar, it was how Klaus looked at her.

She didn't feel them lift her body, she didn't hear them congratulate themselves on a job well done, and she certainly didn't hear the woman on the other end of the phone telling them to hurry back to New Orleans.


	6. Chapter 6

Rebekah strode down Bourbon Street as though she owned it; to be fair there was a time she had. It had been many years since she had been in New Orleans, many more since she'd called it home, but there was just something about it that made her feel welcome. Even the smell – the mix of alcohol, urine and vomit – was comforting to her, which was just as well because she was less than amused. She found the bar with little bother, pushed her way past a group of drunken louts who she mused really should have made an effort to be a little less irritating considering they were all of them human. As though to prove her point one of their number disappeared, no doubt whizzed away to meet someone's dinner order. No matter.

She flicked her long blonde hair back and marched up to the bar, where a pretty little blonde was pouring shots, one of which Rebekah grabbed knocking back in one quick motion. "Hey, that wasn't for you!" a brunette slip of a thing complained.

There needed to be higher standards for turning humans, the girl was scarcely more than skin and bones. If she'd been in the mood to be dramatic she'd have ripped out Bone's heart, just for being undeserving. Lucky for Bones she decided on a more subtle approach, gave her a condescending smile and caught her gaze, eyes dilating. "Pay for the shots and find somewhere else to be," she compelled the annoyance away, then proceeded to knock back the remaining shots. Once she had obtained a healthy buzz she let her eyes roam the bar, noting that she had drawn a certain amount of attention from the supernatural element. "I'm looking for Elijah," she announced quietly, aware that each and every one of them were listening intently.

In her peripheral vision she saw the tell-tale squirming of someone who knew something, so she made her way over with a large smile. The vampire in question, Mr tall dark and _not _handsome or Not for short, was sitting with two females – one vampire, the other human. "Go get me a drink Cindy," she flicked her hand towards the female vampire so she knew the order was for her.

Cindy ground her teeth, "my name is Kate."

Rebekah spared her a withering glare, "why would I care? Hop to it Cindy, I'm parched."

Cindy looked towards Not who nodded once and then pushed her chair back with just a wee bit too much force so that it clattered against the wall, then went to do as she was told, returning a minute later and placing a glass of amber fluid before Rebekah. "Cheers," Rebekah held her glass up until Not clinked it with his and then took a sip. "So then, Elijah is … fill in the gap."

Not continued his staring match and the silence grew longer, fast approaching uncomfortable which she decided she should never be in New Orleans. "You are being incredibly annoying." She sighed as he continued being difficult, then leaned in eyes again dilating, "Where is Elijah?"

Not had the audacity to look smug, of course he was on vervain. Clearly things were not to end on friendly terms. In a flash she had him suspended from his throat against the wall, she squeezed smiling brightly, "I asked you a question."

"Rebekah Mikaelson," a deep sexy voice called out to her.

She turned without releasing Not. "Marcel, it's been a long time." She allowed her eyes to rake his form. "Looking good," she smirked.

A big warm viper of a smile answered. "What brings you to _my_ town Bekah?"

She didn't miss the whole possessive pronoun, "I'm asking the questions."

Not finally found his voice, "she's looking for Elijah."

"He'll be in shortly, usually around eleven, isn't that right Camy?" Marcel turned towards the bar, his smile turning softer, Rebekah noticed with interest.

The blonde bartender smiled back, "just a little past the hour." Camy then turned to pour another drink.

Marcel motioned towards the still hanging Not, "so you see, no need to continue with my friend Jacob here." The tone implied she had better let _Jacob_ go in the very immediate future, so she naturally held him up there just long enough to show she didn't feel inclined to follow his orders.

When she felt she'd made her point she took up Jacob's – and for the record Not suited him better – chair as though it was a throne and motioned Marcel to take another. "Care to keep me company until my brother arrives then?" she asked sweetly enough to indicate that she didn't think so much of his company. He took the seat none the less and propped his feet upon the table. Was everyone intent upon ruining her appreciation of her old stomping grounds?

"So … what's the story with _Camy_?" she was genuinely curious, Marcel had always been more in line with Klaus' views on the blood bag population. Why had Marcel been brought the blonde to her attention?

"She's under my protection," he advised seriously, not an iota of his usual smarminess in evidence.

Intriguing in the extreme, did Marcel consort with humans now? Oh brave new world. She couldn't stop smiling; her eyes tracked Camy at the bar. "I don't see it."

He tensed, and that told her all she need to know, suddenly Camy was a thousand times more interesting. What had drawn his attention? Why was she plucked out of the blood bag supply? Rising to the high height of protected by the self-proclaimed King? Rebekah had no answers, the little blonde bar tender looked none too special, but that was hardly too surprising - Marcel for all his devilish good looks had never been overly special himself. She pondered how the gutter rat had risen to _King_ of her family's town. He'd have needed a lot of help.

"This is my town Bekah, my rules." His voice was lower than ever, velvet sooth.

"Last I checked _Marc_ I was the _Original_, you'd do well to remember that." She looked past him and she could feel him seething in anger. "Run along, my brother has arrived and he'll be in need of that chair," she made a shooing motion with her hand.

She could tell he was just dying to say something more, but he got up and strode off haemorrhaging self-importance. Pathetic. Her smile warmed significantly as her gaze fell upon her older brother; still decked out in a full suit looking like he was running for office. "Elijah," she breathed in greeting.

"Rebekah," he replied smiling warmly. "I am pleased you decided to join us."

"I haven't decided anything yet, I did as you asked, that doesn't mean I'm here for an extended period," she was as aware of their audience as Elijah was. There would be no talk of nephews, witches or even Klaus whilst others could overhear.

"I would like you to stay, we have been separated too long, it is time to rebuild our family," it was as close as he would ever be to begging.

She looked away, back towards Marcel's little ingénue. "I didn't break it."

He sighed, "We cannot change the past, but this is our chance for a better tomorrow, perhaps our last chance."

Rebekah met his eyes, "always and forever."

He smiled, "always and forever."

* * *

When Jeremy had rung and told him that something had happened to Caroline he hadn't taken him seriously. Things had been fine and dandy, no big bad on a mission to end them, they'd defeated the most powerful being on the planet and number two was Caroline's biggest fan, so just who would be stupid enough to attack Blondie? It didn't make sense, and so Jeremy was clearly delusional, Blondie had obviously gotten bored of waiting and headed back to her dorm.

Once he arrived home, smelt the unmistakable stench of dog, and read the text message from Caroline advising she needed to talk to him urgently and was waiting at the house, he was willing to accede that there was something to the Vampire Barbie kidnap theory. Jeremy, and Bonnie apparently - by proxy - seemed overly concerned, to the point where they argued immediate, and drastic, action should be taken. Damon agreed, to a point … ringing up the big bad wolf was on the other side of that point, it was not going to happen.

No way in hell was he going to tell the big bad that his blonde obsession had been taken from under their noses; he liked his heart where it was. Plus he really didn't want a rabidly mad hybrid anywhere near Elena. Damon knew all about poor impulse control, he wasn't going to let Elena anywhere near Klausageddon, so best to wait on informing the big bad until they had some positive news to prevent becoming the vent for his anger.

Bonnie by proxy seemed quite determined however, spouting some crap about Caroline having been deeply troubled by something, so troubled that she'd come back to Mystic Falls to tell Judgy all about it and apparently this was end of days stuff because Vampire Barbie had made a solemn vow never to return. All news to Damon, Blondie had been her usual perky self each and every time he'd been in her company; sure she'd dialed back on the snarky sidebar but that hardly translated to gloomy visions of mass extinction. She'd probably come back to have a heart to heart about her douche of a boyfriend and then … wrong place, wrong time. Nothing they couldn't handle without the hybrid freak.

"I'll call Stefan, he'll circle the wagons and we'll find her. No need to involve Originals … or Elena at this point," he thought that was reasonable enough, but judging by the fact that his skin starting to sizzle – a clear indication that his daylight ring was out of order – Bonnie didn't think so. How could she be more of a pain in the arse dead than alive? He quickly retreated to a dark corner, "not cool, Witchy."

Jeremy didn't react other than to shrug his shoulders. "I texted Stefan just after I called you."

"What the hell is going on?" Liz Forbes strode into the room, looking frantic. "Where is she?"

"We don't know," Jeremy answered. "She came to see me, sent me a text saying she was waiting, but when I got home I found her car, open front door and sign of her."

Still trapped in the corner, witches were just the worst, "at least one of them was a werewolf." He sighed. "We will find her Liz."

Her eyes were laced with tears; he imagined it was taking everything she had not to crumble. "She didn't want to come back," her voice seemed devoid of life. "This town … we have to find her." She drew herself up, stared him straight in the eye with steely determination. "We will find her."

Jeremy, clearly still operating under the influence, butted in. "We should ask Klaus for help."

Liz nodded in agreement, bringing out her phone, "I have his number."

He couldn't help himself. "Are you kidding? How the hell did you get devil spawn's digits?"

"Caroline, she …" Liz didn't appear able to finish the sentence, lapsing into silence.

Had everyone gone crazy? Why was everyone on team Klaus all of a sudden? "Can we at least wait for Stefan?"

Liz looked at him as though he had grown a second head; she opened her mouth to speak but was cut off. "I'm here," Stefan announced. "Why the glum faces?"

Damon breathed a sigh of relief, back up had arrived, "Caroline's been taken, don't know who by, this lot want to bring in Klaus."

Stefan's eyes narrowed, "Caroline was taken?" He spoke slowly as though he was trying out the words to determine how he should react and then his face transformed, rippefied features taking over.

Damon wondered how he had missed it – Stefan and Vampire Barbie? How the hell did that happen? His brother had clearly lost it, but it wasn't like Damon could do anything about that now, especially as Judgy still hadn't been inclined to restore his ring's use to him. Damon was stuck in the corner unable to do anything but watch Stefan looking homicidal as Liz hit send on the phone call of doom. If Damon had any doubts that the universe was against him they were expelled when Klaus answered on the first ring. Damon could hear the conversation unfold.

"Klaus, it's Liz Forbes," her voice was surprisingly steady.

"Sheriff Forbes, to what do I owe the pleasure?" the bastard actually sounded as though it was a pleasure to hear from her, Damon knew that would be short lived.

He was sure he heard the orchestra of doom warming up with the next words from Liz's mouth, "Caroline is missing; she's been taken."

Dead silence, absolute. Spine-chilling silence followed by heavy breathing.

The calm before the storm?

No one moved a muscle, not even Liz, every one of them waiting on the big bad. "I will find her," each word sounded like a struggle as though he had to wrench them from his throat.

"He hung up," Liz advised.

Damon smirked, and looked to Stefan only to find he had left at some point during the talk with the big bad. What the hell? He moved to follow his brother, but was forced back when his skin sizzled yet again, "What the hell Bonnie!"

_Bitch!_


	7. Chapter 7

She didn't awaken gradually, one moment she was in oblivion and the next she was staring into a pair of dark brown eyes set into the face a young woman clearly something more than human – one generally didn't get that close to a hungry vampire recovering a heavy vervain dose, followed by a neck snap … or two.

So what was her latest captor?

Not a werewolf … certainly not a vampire … so that left ... witch? Not the one from the Salvatore house, so it was her lucky day, her group of kidnappers included multiple witches and at least one werewolf – didn't she feel special? The woman moved out of view, and Caroline listened as she took a few steps further away.

Though not wishing to hasten the torture she felt obliged to lift herself up keen to see whatever it was that the witch was up to. Her whole body ached, vervain still in her system, experience told her. Caroline supposed she should be grateful that her current kidnappers had dispensed with vervain ropes, but then again, best not get her hopes up. She found the dark eyed witch eyeing her from the corner of the room, seemed like the witch was awaiting an attack. Like she thought Caroline would rush her – plainly not aware this wasn't her first time.

Silences were never really her strong suit, so after a while she found herself filling it, "So you're a supernatural something, I'm a vampire, and we are having this party of two because?"

The witch smiled, not much of one, just a small lift of the corners of her mouth. "I'm Sophie, you're Caroline, and you're here because the Original Hybrid hasn't delivered as promised."

She felt herself visibly deflate; she was here because of Klaus. Seriously? Argh. "What do you want?"

"Freedom," she said solemnly. "Klaus can help us, but he doesn't appear to be motivated. You can provide that."

Great, just fabulous, so this was going to follow the normal pattern. Get kidnapped, listen to someone bitch about their problems, and then there's the torture, the crying, the looking like total crap, more crying. She wondered why it had to _always_ be her, weren't there supposed to be like four billion odd other people on the planet, couldn't they take turns?

Sophie pulled out a cell phone and held it out to her, "I want you to call him."

"I'm sorry Caroline is not available to take your call, please call back when hell freezes over." She really was sick of this crap. Head exploding, definitely a witch.

* * *

Klaus had finally made progress, of a sort, there was a house and in that house there was a tower – a place no one was allowed to go. He had no doubt that whatever held the witches of Nola subservient was located in that room. It had taken a mammoth amount of exertion for him to discover that such a room existed he shuddered to think what it might take to find it.

He was inclined to share the new found information with Elijah and the witches and tell them to find the bloody room themselves – he was over the whole thing, he wasn't built to kneel especially to Marcel and the ingrates he called _family_. The limits of his patience had been exceeded; therefore he would leave it to his brother and the witches to complete the journey to their freedom. His time would be better spent ending all those smug ingrates before he ran himself a bath in Marcel's blood – it was time for him to stop play-acting and take what was his.

Just when he felt all was right in the world his phone decided to ring, he glanced at the unfamiliar number amused; there was only one person with the gall to give out his number. "Hello," he managed to sound extremely disinterested.

"Klaus; it's Liz Forbes," Caroline's mother advised.

He felt his pulse race, a genuine smile played across his features. "Sheriff Forbes, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

There was a slight pause, "Caroline is missing; she's been taken."

Taken? Caroline had been _taken_? It didn't make sense; surely no one could want to hurt her, not _Caroline_. He couldn't breathe, his body shook, it didn't make sense … and then suddenly it made perfect sense. No one would want to hurt Caroline, someone wanted to hurt him. He realized he was still holding the phone, Caroline's mother was waiting for him to say something, "I will find her." Each word was like pulling razor blades from his throat, he hung up. He couldn't waste any more time.

He operated on auto pilot, finding the number on his phone, hitting dial. "It's Klaus, do you still have that item I gave you?" his voice was icy, making it perfectly clear that there would be only one acceptable answer.

"Yes," the woman sounded nervous.

"You will perform a location spell, you will find its owner; you … will … not … fail. Call me once you have the location, be sure not to keep me waiting long," and with that the call was over. They would call, he would find her, and he would find _them_.

They were all going to die, every last one of them - whether they touched a hair on her head or not, they were not long for this world. But if … if … they should dare to hurt her, make her bleed a single drop, make her eyes even water with tears, they would suffer before their ends. His rage burned with the intensity of a thousand suns.

He almost threw his phone when it rang again, another unfamiliar number, "Yes?"

"We have her," an unfamiliar male voice.

He made no reply, he was seething.

"We want to know how Marcel controls the witches, you are going to tell us," the dead man continued.

He almost laughed, what were the chances that two separate groups in New Orleans would approach _Him _the dreaded Original Hybrid for answer to that same quandary? Slim to none is what. Those stupid little bitches, he would burn them alive. "I have no answers," he spoke quietly, making every effort to keep his voice even.

"Caroline will be very disappointed to hear that," was the cool response.

"I want to speak to her," he demanded.

"She's not available, maybe later, like when you have information for me," the voice sounded smug now as though only now realizing he had something Klaus valued. And then there was nothing but a dial tone, the connection severed. The phone crumbled in his hand, he tossed the pieces and watched as they smashed against the pavement.

He had lived in darkness for a thousand years before her light dispersed it, if they took her away from him, the darkness would be absolute … it would be forever and if they forced him to reside in darkness he would have no choice but to revel in it. And he would begin by killing each and every witch in New Orleans … and then … well … Armageddon was nothing compared to him.

* * *

Caroline wasn't in a co-operative mood, not in the slightest. It wasn't that what they asked her to do was difficult, merely speak to Klaus, say hello. Only she knew that they were clearly endeavoring to corrupt her to their purpose, so this simple request was the first step, one of many no doubt. They were after something particular from Klaus, and they seemed quite determined to get it. She simply did not believe that giving in to them would increase her chances of living, but denying them might just give Klaus enough time to find her before this escalated exponentially and Bonnie was welcoming her on the Other Side.

She wondered if Bonnie was with her now, couldn't the supernatural dead find you if you thought of them? Just in case, Caroline thought of Bonnie often - best not to put ones eggs in the same Klaus-owned basket after all. So she thought of Bonnie, hoped that her friend could find her, and share her location so that she was … yet again … saved.

Caroline was glad of one thing in her latest captivity, she had finally found an upside to having been tortured so much, it made what Sophie did to her seem tame. She could take a little witch-induced brain explosion, in fact the more often she was subjected to it the higher her tolerance became. She heard someone approaching well before the door was pulled back, she had known by the footfalls that it wasn't Sophie, but she didn't expect the woman who walked through the door. You could have blown her away with a feather she was so shocked. "Hayley," her breath caught in her throat.

The were-slut smiled smugly, "Caroline." She moved out of the door way allowing two men to follow her into the room, the men moved to take up positions behind Caroline, but she paid them no attention focusing on Hayley alone.

Caroline knew then how she ended up in her current predicament; the were-slut had once again sold her out. "You bitch," she glared hotly.

"You don't look so good Care," the use of the nick name a clear dig.

Of all the gall, trailer trash cow. Caroline was well aware that she was not looking her best, she'd been allowed only a minuscule amount of blood, no shower, no make-up, and no curling iron. Of course Hayley would rub it in, for the first time since the were-slut entered Caroline really looked at her – another surprise. Shocking … unbelievable surprise. "You're pregnant, how are you pregnant?" she couldn't prevent the words from escaping.

Hayley smiled, caressing her giant belly, "how do you think?"

Well duh, yes, she knew _how_, but … how? "One-night stand?" she couldn't help it, Hayley had a habit of pissing her off, bloody traitorous bitch.

Hayley smirked, Caroline wasn't sure if she'd ever seen her so smug – she felt a chill creep up her spine, she didn't want to discuss this anymore, she had a bad feeling.

"I just so very _grateful_ when he saved me from Katherine; not really chore considering he is just … mmm … freaking fantastic in the sack," the smile was wicked.

She didn't want to know, but she just had to ask, she just had to, even though she knew she would regret it. "Who?" Her voice small, so very small.

"Klaus of course, do you know anyone else that good in the sack?" her head cocked. "Oh, that's right, you haven't had the pleasure."

Caroline felt her nails cut into her palms, she knew it wasn't rational but she felt an overwhelming sense of betrayal. Then she thought about what Hayley was actually saying, the were-slut was pregnant with Klaus' child. What the hell? No way could that happen, even if he did sink so low as to take a turn with the trailer trash slut, Klaus was dead. Not possible. "Are you on crack?"

She sensed the men tense behind her.

"The witches call it nature's little loophole, Klaus was a werewolf before he was turned so he can do what vampires can't."

There was something about Hayley, pregnant or not, that always made Caroline want to strangle her. She was toxic. "And just why are you telling me this now?"

"You don't owe him anything, you should consider co-operating."

"I should rip your fucking spine out, but I'm not going to do that either." Rage - that is what she felt - boiling hot rage. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes; she did not want to cry in front of the bitch, she would not give her that pleasure. "Get out before I change my mind," though force of will she kept her voice even. Caroline moved towards her, and then the men's hands clamped down on her arms and then the tell tale prick of a needle in her neck. The men released her and moved back to stand beside Hayley who was looking guilty all of a sudden. Caroline knew why when her neck started to burn, it wasn't vervain, it was a death sentence. _God damn bitch, I hope you rot in hell._

Caroline heard, rather than saw, Hayley and the others leave the room. Just in time, the tears flowed down her cheeks in a never ending stream. The tears weren't for impending death, that would be understandable, these tears were for something she couldn't comprehend. What Hayley had told her had upset her, more than that, she was beyond upset and she didn't understand why. She wasn't with Klaus, she had _never_ been with Klaus; it really shouldn't matter. Not that he slept with Hayley, nor even that the bitch was pregnant with his child. None of it should matter, but it _did_, it mattered so much she found herself devastated, bereft. And she didn't know why, she didn't get why - when the venom was flooding through her veins - _this_ was what concerned her. "What is wrong with me?" she mumbled as she settled into a ball on the dirty floor.

She dragged herself up when she heard someone approaching some time later, more than one someone actually. Hasty hands wiped the tears from her cheeks; _don't let them see you cry_. Next she heard raised voices, loud thumping, and then the door was pulled back as tall muscular man entered. "Caroline Forbes?" he asked. She nodded numbly. "You need to come with us," he held his hand out to her.

"Come where?" she asked hopefully.

"Do you really want to stay here?" he questioned.

No, she didn't, but she wasn't sure if going with him wouldn't be the last mistake he ever made. Still at this point she was convinced she had zero chance of survival if she stayed. Her voice failed her, so she nodded her ascent and took the offered hand. He supported her weight through a corridor, a door, some swampy scenery, and into a black SUV.

It was only from the relative safety of the vehicle that she looked around, there were two bodies within view, heads severed from their bodies. She felt a certain kind of satisfaction in that, which she reflected she would normally feel bad about. Not today, not with death coursing in her veins.

It wasn't until the vehicle surged forward that she realized she was still holding on to his hand, she released it immediately. "Did Klaus send you?" she found her voice, hope giving her strength.

He met her gaze and shook his head in the negative. She probably should have asked him earlier, she mused. "Who?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

"I need his blood," she mumbled tiredly. She fell into darkness wondering if the next thing she'd see would be Bonnie's welcoming arms.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's note: Hopefully this isn't too disappointing. In case you were wondering I've re-numbered the chapters as it was kind of annoying me. Now, seeing as the question has been asked more than once, I will clarify that as stated in what is now the first part of chapter one Klaus is not the father.**

Silas had lived almost the entirety of his existence laboring with but a single purpose, to be reunited with his beloved. He had elected to desiccate to the point where he was more stone than man to avoid an eternity on The Other Side without her, never faltering in his resolve, never once doubting that it would be worth it. For he knew that there was nothing in this world more certain than his love of Junia – he had _always_ been hers; mind, body and soul. Their love was of the type they wrote epic poems about, it was timeless … as they had meant to be.

It was not fate that torn his dreams asunder; it was his _best_ friend. The vindictive handmaiden of Lucifer slid a knife across her throat, tearing his heart from his chest in the process. Qetsiyah betrayed him in the worst way possible, and he hadn't seen it coming. He had been naive, he had trusted her completely, utterly, and it was Junia – sweet, innocent, human little Junia - who had paid for it.

His days were endless, but it was not the life he had chosen, he was never meant to be immortal without her. Qetsiyah had offered him a solution, a cure for his immortal infliction, a peace offering her note had advised, and then the malevolent hag had told him of her final treachery – he was trapped in a tomb and if he should take the cure, Junia would be separated from him forever. Junia was at peace in the afterlife, should he die he would be stuck in The Other Side. Silas had vowed to never gift her victory; he would undo the evil she had wrought, destroy The Other Side and join sweet Junia in the afterlife.

It was all he had thought about for over two thousand years, it was enviable, destiny.

But after more than two thousand years of certainty, he found himself doubting. His doppelganger's best friend, was a distraction; harmless entertainment to help him pass time until he reunited with Junia. He didn't actually care for her; he _couldn't_ actually care for her. Yet when Damon had told him that she had been taken he had felt … there were no words for what he had felt, it was so long, he had gone so long without...

Silas had to die, it was decided the moment Qetsiyah slit his beloved's throat, it was going to happen. The Other Side would cease to be, the doors of the afterlife thrown open to his kind. It was fixed. He knew this to be true.

But when Damon had said she was taken, he had found himself conflicted. He didn't care for the blonde distraction, he absolutely _didn't_, but as sure as he knew that he had to die, he knew she had to live. The world was better for her being in it, and though he didn't intend to remain in this realm he was determined that if she should ever leave it, it would be her choice.

Silas had left the Salvatore mansion the moment Klaus answered the phone; he knew this world and the players in it. Caroline was a baby vampire with a sunny disposition, this was not about her. Witches and werewolves didn't play well together - witches didn't play well with anyone – so this was about the Hybrid. And the Hybrid was in New Orleans, so that is where Silas went.

It was a strange place, something other worldly about it, something slightly off. He sensed it the moment he crossed inside its boarders, a weird vibration, something entirely new but somehow familiar. Had he time to consider it further he was sure he would be capable of defining it, but he was all too aware of Klaus' cuddly nature – any enemy of his wouldn't hesitate to do Caroline harm, time was precious and very limited. He moved through the supernatural hub searching for her image in the minds of all he met. It took longer than he would have liked, too long, but he was eventually successful.

He was not subtle in his interrogation, no time for mind games, he was brutal and ultimately when the subject of his attention bared meager semblance to humankind Silas had what was required, his Sunshine's location. He left the bag of broken bones groaning in torment and went to retrieve what they had taken.

It was with a sinking feeling that he surveyed the carnage of whoever had gotten there before him. Caroline was gone, he was once again too late. A head went flying as he booted it as rage built within him; he tore the bodies limp from limp coating himself in their blood. There could be no denying it now, despite what he had told himself, he cared for her.

More than that, he loved her.

* * *

Caroline awoke with a Spitting headache; it felt as though her heart was hammering in her head, each beat throbbing through her temples. She opened her eyes one at a time immensely grateful that where ever she was now it was dark. "Argh," she groaned softly bringing a hand up to cradle her tender head.

"Don't try to get up," the words seemed to drift towards her, origin unknown.

She didn't attempt to lift herself up despite her desire to do the opposite of what she was told. "So now I'm imprisoned on the couch?"

"You are free to move wherever you like … within the confines of this … house," the voice paused over the word house as though unsure of its correctness. "I simply meant to advise you that in light of the combination of vervain, hunger, and venom it would be better if you were to take it easy."

Venom, yes, she had been injected with it. Why wasn't she dead? "Klaus?"

"He isn't here," the voice replied.

"But the venom, I need him … I …" her hand was at her neck, there was no wound. Shouldn't there have been a wound? "His blood, I needed..."

The voice cut her off turning firm and unyielding. "Another time." that discussion was clearly over … for now.

She felt a presence beside her and then a bag was pressed into her hands; she could smell the blood, her face contorted in want of it. "Where am I?" she asked making no attempt to sate her thirst, though sorely tempted.

"This is my … house." Once again there was a slight hesitation.

"You don't seem certain," the blood was calling to her, her gums aching.

"House isn't accurate, but it will suffice. Drink, you are thirsty." the voice implored.

She just couldn't hold back anymore she ripped into the bag and sighed contentedly as it hit her tongue before slipping down to her throat. Even when the bag was empty her throat still burned with wanting, but she didn't request another, she dragged herself up into a sitting position. It was not what she expected, and yet … it was exactly what was expected. Everything was recognizable, she was sitting on a couch in a typical living room, everything exactly where she would expect it to be, how she would expect it to be, all very familiar … she was in her mother's living room, and yet … she wasn't. "What the hell."

"It will take a while to adjust to this environment," the voice reached her again.

The voice was another thing that wasn't quite right, she hadn't noticed so much when her head was exploding, but now … why couldn't she determine anything about it, why did she think of it as the voice and not her voice or his voice. What was so unidentifiable about it, was magic disguising it somehow? Did the person not want her to be able to identify them? If that were the case, her chances of survival had just sky-rocketed surely, so why didn't she feel relieved? "Who are you?" she asked, her eyes scanning that strange hazy area beyond her mother's almost living room.

"Feel free to call me whatever you wish," the voice, the suddenly very feminine voice, advised.

It was almost as though her believing that something should be made it so; the voice needed an identity so it had one. And because the voice had to belong to someone, a woman appeared at the edge of the living room. There was something distinctly other worldly about her Caroline thought, they were about the same height she figured but that's about where the resemblance ended. The woman was ghostly white, her skin almost translucent, her hair was long and so black that it was difficult to determine where it ended and the shadows began, but it was the face that drew her focus it was imperial supermodel features … a little too perfect, symmetry not found naturally … and the eyes, they were devoid. She had never seen eyes like that, black, so very black that she was certain that if they were closer – which she honestly hoped they never would be – she was sure she would be able to see her own image reflected back. Black was not a color, black absorbed all color, people's eyes weren't black.

If Klaus healed her, why wasn't he here, he would never have left her, he wouldn't. "Oh my god, am I dead?"

"No, you are very much alive or rather as alive as a vampire can be," the black eyes seemed blacker.

There was something creepy about black eyes. "What are you?" she felt so very brave asking.

The semblance of a smile drifted across that face, chilling in the extreme. "Excellent question, but I'm afraid now is not the time to answer it Caroline."

It knew her name, why did it have to know her name? God damn it, why was it always her? And just why couldn't she keep her mouth shut? "What is it time for?" she didn't mean to ask, she didn't want to know.

"It's time to prepare," the … woman … uttered and then turned away moving back into that strange hazy area beyond the living room of her youth.

What was that supposed to mean? "Prepare what exactly?"

Her voice floated from the darkness as though it uttered the words, "You Caroline; it's time to prepare you."

Seriously? "What the hell."

Laughter; that is what she heard next and it was a sound she never wanted to hear again, not in this place, not from _her_. Softly, barely in her range of hearing, "how apt," and then a long pause, a deadly pause, "a war is raging and you need to prepare for battle."

Caroline followed the sound of the voice into the darkness, searching out the source, "what kind of war?"

The black eyes were directly in front of her; Caroline's image reflected perfectly, her terrified image.

"The oldest one."

_Uh … what?_


	9. Chapter 9

It had not taken him long to find where they were holding her, still he wasn't quick enough. The bodies were barely cold when he stepped over them to search the house whose residents, every last one of them, had met their end. Ordinarily he would have been furious to have come so close and been frustrated so near to his goal, but he wasn't – there was a sinking feeling in his stomach, acid churning.

Every head had been severed from its body, all eight of them; two of their number outside the rest indoors and, considering that he was being generous calling the place a house, it was clear to him that whomever had collected Caroline had been exceedingly quick and deadly efficient. It spoke volumes.

The deaths were clean, even so, there was a lot of blood; each heart had beat after the head had separated, propelled the liquid through the newly made orifice. Few vampires could have maintained enough control not to feed; he did not believe it was their work. In his experience, and it was extensive, werewolves kills were never clean, they ripped, they tore, they used their hands – the necks presented straight uniform slashes, the work of blades. It wasn't werewolves.

Witches used blades on occasion, but not these. He had seen their work before; they had gone through skin, muscle, cartilage like a hot knife through butter. They were not normal blades and their presence meant only one thing… still, he hoped, short lived though it was – it evaporated when he entered the room in which his Caroline had been held. The blonde's alluring scent permeated the air, for a moment he had closed his eyes savoring it, her cherished features flashing past his eyes. A smile had reserved his features, spreading across his face and claiming it as she had his heart. It lasted but a moment before he caught something else, a barely noticeable scent he had come to associate with Her. His eyes had flown open, fixed on the deadly object, that single black orchard of destruction which destroyed the hopeful fantasy. Of course Her curiosity had not evaporated upon his departure, she had told him she wanted to meet Caroline and so she had sent them to collect her.

He did not think it likely that Caroline would be harmed whilst a guest in her domain, but he did not feel relieved. The world had titled off its axis, he felt as though a part of him was missing, physically removed. It was not the lonely longing he had endured awaiting the day she would come to him, it was so much more than that. A bitter laugh tumbled from his throat; how ironic was his circumstance now, he who had lectured against the perils of love was now so irrevocably lost within its embrace that he was reduced by her mere absence.

No there could be no relief in the knowledge that the black eyed bitch had Caroline in her clutches, because it was the one place he could not retrieve her from, not without Her consent at least. And should that consent be denied? Should he present himself with the answer to the witches of NOLA's capitulation ask for his heart to be returned to him and be greeted with only silence. What then?

How long did it take to sate the curiosity of such a being? And what if it wasn't curiosity that led to the interest in Caroline? He shuddered at the thought, what other reason could one such as Her want Caroline? She, for whom this world always seemed to hold so little of value, had particularly burnt with interest when requesting an audience. Was he then mistaken and that which seemed unlikely was in reality a foregone conclusion?

_Love is a vampire's greatest weakness, and we are not weak, Elijah. We do not feel, and we do not care._

The words from the past haunted his present. He had not understood what it was that Elijah had felt in that moment so long ago, he was incapable of comprehending the depths of despair his careless words must have forced upon the most loyal of his brothers. Only now did he know, truly know, what it was to have the life of the woman he loved in the hands of another, and if that other were to ask Him what does it matter if she lives or not? Klaus knew he would not answer as his brother did, not even if he were told that it was a necessary sacrifice, not even if the world depended on it. Were he asked, selfish as he was, he would answer without hesitation, without restraint … everything. Caroline was everything, and were he to lose her … were she to be removed from this world there was nothing he wouldn't do, nothing he wouldn't give to be reunited with her, whether in this world or the next.

He hoped that the black eyed bitch knew that, he hoped that there was a service which only he could perform, that this was the reason behind her interest, he hoped.

* * *

Rebekah was surprised when Matt had rung and told her the Caroline was missing, abducted by witches and werewolves no less. It was an unlikely turn of events; small town baby vampires didn't acquire such enemies. Her brother on the other hand … well he didn't play well with others. Problem was very few people were aware of Nik's interest in Miss Sunshine and Rainbows, fewer still were stupid enough to tell anyone about it. In fact, she could only think of two such idiots. And when she considered that the doppelganger bitch Katherine had, of late, been practically salivating in her determination to prove to Elijah that she was worthy of a second chance, that list was whittled down to one.

Hayley- white trash soon-to-be-mother of her nephew - the guest of a certain tribe of witches that were in desperate need of assistance in relation to a certain sooth voiced cretin with delusions of grandeur. If it was inconvenient that were-bitch didn't keep her mouth shut, it was disastrous that the witches had thought it advisable to act on the information. Rebekah was well aware of how the vindictive little bastard would react, violent in the extreme.

One didn't poke the beast; one most certainly didn't wrack it over the head and do a victory dance whilst it was dazed, it would recover and when it did there would be nowhere safe from its wrath … there would be no one safe. He would tear each of every one of them limb from limb, including the blabbermouth were-bitch. And the baby, who Elijah was busy building the new Mikaelson Empire around, would be nothing but a memory.

Rebekah hadn't wanted to go to New Orleans, she hadn't wanted to help Elijah on his quest to find Niklaus' redemption; she had wanted to be free of her familial obligations. One thousand years of loyalty was enough, especially considering what she had received in return. So when Elijah had asked her to go she had refused, when he had all but begged … she had refused, but when she returned from her trip with Matt and found him waiting for her she had relented, just that tiny little bit, just long enough for him to tell her about the magic miracle baby.

He had stared at her in silence for the longest time and then he had asked again, and … she had refused, again. Elijah had given her a disappointed frown, and how he managed that she didn't know. Then, as they always did, he had left her.

She hadn't stayed in the dreary little town more than a few moments after his departure, but she hadn't followed him, no she had escaped. Continued where Matt and her had left off, traipsed around the globe in search of diversion. Nothing held her interest for long, and in the back of her mind lay that picture of their family remade, incredibly annoying, undeniably tantalising. Eventually, she had capitulated and made her way to New Orleans. Elijah had sent her an invitation almost immediately following her arrival and she had agreed to the meeting without a performance. It did not surprise her that he knew what swayed her, she had left no room for doubt on how little inclined she was to help Nik after all. No, it was the baby that held her interest – how could it not? She who envied all things human, how could she not be persuaded with the vision of a blood child to nurture as her own?

Her meeting with Hayley had not been necessary, but she had gone none-the-less. The werewolf was unexpected; there was something decidedly trashy about her. She was so far removed from what Rebekah envisioned her brother would covet, that she wondered if the witches were mistaken. Then she had recalled Elijah's words in Mystic Falls, one evening of passion was how he had chosen to describe it, he had always been prone to avoid giving voice to unpleasant truths. Hayley was meaningless, the type of woman her brother was normally as inclined to kill as fuck. It was not passion, it was an itch her brother had chosen to scratch and it was Hayley for no other reason than that she was there.

How amusing it had seemed that the trashy little thing had risen to the lofty height of mother to a Mikealson; and how very unfortunate too. Rebekah had known what would befall the werewolf the moment she had watched those hands creep protectively over the skin under which _their_ baby lay. There could be no claim upon the child but theirs, and regardless of Elijah's promises Hayley's death was demanded, neigh, mandatory.

Pondering on it now Rebekah wondered if Hayley was aware of that, if this was why she told the witches of Caroline. Perhaps the were-bitch thought that if they held the blonde obsession Nik would stay his hand when the time came, that she would be allowed the briefest relief which would allow for her escape. Rebekah almost felt sorry for the were-bitch, had it been only her life at stake she would have, but her actions had put Rebekah's hopes of motherhood in jeopardy. Having lost her chance at a human existence she was resolute in her determination to hold on to a small part of that dream.

For that reason, she had sought her brother out. Found her way through the underbelly of supernatural New Orleans to share his table. She didn't need to ask him if he knew; she saw the darkness in his eyes, barely restrained savagery. "You can't kill Hayley," she began.

He gave her a dark smile, "not only can I, I have to. Moreover…" he broke off staring straight through her as though recalling something.

"Once the baby is …" she began again.

He laughed bitterly, "The baby … of course. You are here baby sister for the fruit of my loins; well you are to be disappointed."

Rebekah felt a shiver run up her spine. "We will find Caroline; she will be returned unharmed, I promise. There is no need to …"

He cut her off again. "I know where Caroline is and you shouldn't make promises you cannot keep."

"What can I do?" she pleaded.

"Nothing, nothing can be done. There are things in this world …" he stopped, looking through her yet again. "There is somewhere I need to be." He got up and turned to leave.

She flashed over to him and grabbed his arm, "Nik, please."

He looked at her then, really looked at her and her heart lurched at the despair within his eyes. "There is no baby," he spoke so softly that had she not been so close she would not have heard him.

"What?" she breathed. Clinging to his arm like a lifeboat in stormy seas.

He closed his eyes, expelling the air from his lungs in a shuddering breath as though he was on the verge of losing control. His eyes opened and found hers again, "there never was."

She felt as though she had lost her footing, "but Elijah … Elijah, Niklaus, he was so sure."

He shook off her hand, "he was deceived."

No, it _couldn't_ be true and yet she knew that he was not lying to her. She had been cursed with the ability to identify lies, so his words delivered her a severe blow, her dreams again shattered. There would be no new Mikaelson to heal the bonds of family, no child for her to raise, no one to love her unconditionally - always and forever.

It was all fantasy.

Her eyes fell to the floor, along with her stomach.

Her plans, her dreams of a better life, visions of that little boy calling her mother, all for nought, and that's all she ever got. Tears welled in her eyes, made a path down her cheeks to fall at her feet. She felt the lightest touch flutter across her cheek and looked up to find herself staring into empty space; he had left her to wallow in her misery alone. Why was she always alone?

Hayley, the witches, the baby all were forgotten. If Nik had brought them in one by one and ripped out their hearts in front of her she would not have cared, she wouldn't have even noticed. One thousand years of longing, heartache, and betrayal were nothing to what she felt now. This was all consuming, this was throbbing agony; this brought her – who bowed to no one, nothing - to her knees.


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry for the delay.**

"Again," she instructed, sounding bored.

Caroline found her feet, picking up the dropped sword and sighing. "How long are we going to do this?" she asked, almost annoying herself with her whiny tone. Almost.

"Until I say otherwise," and she lunged.

For all her speed Caroline still found herself floundering, reacting, forever on the defensive. She figured she was improving, if the decreasing number of cuts and bruises after each session were any indication, but her assailant never offered praise. It was only ever what she was doing wrong, how her ineptitude would see her killed in record time. Once again she found herself flung to the ground, yet more burning slices marring her skin. "How long have we been doing this?"

"Long enough to determine you'd be a lamb to the slaughter. Again," she motioned upwards.

How long had she even been here? She wasn't sure; time seemed to flow differently here, wherever here was. She had not been idle in whatever time had passed, she hadn't been allowed to be; every _day _she had spent under attack, each moment a lesson in how easy it would be to kill her. Caroline was exasperated, every part of her ached, each cut burned intensely and for reasons she didn't understand they would not heal, not until the session was deemed over and the black eyed jailor would give her a blood bag.

"Again," she coolly informed.

Body protesting Caroline rose once more, well aware that if she wanted that healing bag of goodness her body craved she had to do as she was told. Experience had taught her that if she didn't get up she would be left to wallow in agony until she did. "Can this be the last time?"

"Are you capable of improvement?"

This time Caroline lunged, and for all of two seconds it was her on the offensive, but then she was desperately attempting to defend herself as the black eyed jailor continued the trail of cuts across her body before she appeared to get bored and swept her legs out from under her. The air expelled from Caroline's lungs as she hit the deck and the collection of abrasions across her what was left of her skin cried out in torment. Even so, she managed to drag herself up before the chant of _again_ was uttered.

She was rewarded with a smile and another hard tumble to the ground. Caroline wondered if this was to be her life from now on, punching bag extraordinaire. Every slight movement was painful, requiring a mammoth effect she frankly wouldn't have considered herself capable of when she had first awoken here. Somehow her legs were under her again.

"Enough," her voice had never sounded sweater.

Caroline breathed a sigh of relief then practically moaned as the blood bag weighted down her hands, she drank deeply and felt the soothing warm of it spreading through her veins healing on its way. When the bag was empty she looked up surprised to discover that her jailor was still, having become used to her retreat after each and every session, her absence in between. "I thought we were done for the day," she tried hard to make it more of statement than a desperate plea.

"We are," she sat down upon the replica couch.

"So, then?" it was just weird to see the woman sit, she never sat. She was always just kind of floating around the place like ghosts did in movies. Caroline sighed feeling uncomfortable under the never blinking gaze. "In a chatty mood are we?" she attempted to lighten the suffocating atmosphere.

She did what Caroline believed was her best impersonation of a smile, a small little thing that barely turned her mouth. "Not particularly, no." And yet, she remained.

They watched each other for a time, neither speaking, just watching … waiting. This was new to Caroline, it was against the established order of things and she wanted to know why. "Was there something you wanted to talk about?" she ventured.

The woman merely shook her head in response.

She found her really annoying sometimes, hell the woman was always annoying, the woman for which she still didn't even have a name for. It irked her. "I've decided to call you Constance, Connie for short," she announce with an expression boarding on spiteful.

"I've been called worse;" with a shrug of the shoulders.

"Such as?" the silence was answer enough. "Right … another time. I don't suppose I could get my cell phone back seeing as you're so not chatty."

A bell chime laugh was the only response.

"Everyone's supposed to get a phone call Connie," she did her best sickly sweat impression.

"Special rules for special people Care." the answer was in the same vain.

Caroline was fairly certain they hadn't reached the level of friendship - or any level for that matter - that made Connie's use of Care permissible, she just wasn't certain it would be in her best interests to say so. It occurred to her suddenly that Connie wasn't the best choice in name, it was too similar and that wound was just too fresh.

Connie was still staring, but Caroline sensed a slight shift which made her fairly certain that the weird little interlude, or whatever it was, would not continue for much longer. There were so many questions she wanted to ask, so many that really needed answering, but she found herself asking one which she doubted was important in the grand scheme of things. "Can you see Bonnie?" she chewed her lip. "Is she here?"

The smile froze on Connie's face, her eyes widening in surprise for a fraction of a second but long enough that Caroline noticed ... And wondered.

"Bonnie cannot come here," was the response, the smile disappearing altogether.

That didn't fit with what Caroline knew of ghosts, the supernatural variety in any case. Bonnie and Caroline shared a strong bond so surely if she thought of her, focussed solely on her, she would come. Bonnie loved her, maybe not as much as Caroline loved her in return, but it was an undeniable fact. So why couldn't Bonnie come? What prevented it? "Is it a spell that keeps her out?"

"Yes."

"Couldn't you lift it? Just for a little while so I could talk to her," she could feel the tears pooling in her eyes, the longing overtaking her.

"It was not of my making and I will not undo it," there was no sympathy in those black eyes.

"Whose spell was it?"

"Do you know how vampires came to be Caroline?"

Why was it always so difficult to get answers? "Yes, Esther cast a spell, Michael killed them; they came back, drank more blood to transition..."

"The Originals aren't actually original, try again."

Silas … right. How did she manage to forget him? "Qetsiyah and Silas wrote an immortality spell, she cast it for him."

"What happened next?"

"She thought that he loved her, but he didn't. He wanted to make another woman immortal so Qetsiyah killed her." She failed to see the point of this.

"And then..."

"Then she created the Other Side and the cure which she buried with him. He had two choices take the cure so he could die or desiccate."

"And why didn't he take the first option?"

"He would have been trapped on the Other Side, separated from his love." Saying it out loud made Caroline feel sorry for Silas, sure he was a homicidal twat who made her and her friends lives less than pleasant – practically killed Bonnie – but hey, Qetsiyah was a bitch. There was no denying it. And when all was said and done, she was quite certain she wouldn't have been a box of bunnies after desiccating for two thousand years – it probably wasn't conducive to a sound mental state.

"And there you have it." Connie stood.

"Seriously? How exactly does that answer my question?" she found herself sneering.

"Remind me Caroline, what was your question?"

Well duh! "Whose spell was it?" Oh. "Qetsiyah," so know she felt a little stupid. "It's the same spell, isn't it?" she wasn't sure what made her think it, it just seemed right.

Connie inclined her head, the small smile back.

But then ... was that even possible?

"Do you know what he sees in you Caroline?"

Abrupt change of topic if ever there was one. Caroline wanted to pretend she didn't know who he was, wanted to feign disinterest and stay on topic, but she wanted to know where this line of questioning would lead and so her curiosity rendered her incapable. "He told me I'm full of light."

"He's not wrong," the eyes narrowed briefly, seemingly considering. "There is something about you that is rare amongst your kind and quite impossible to find in my own."

"Which is what exactly?"

"It's difficult to define, a certain kind of joy, a lightness of spirit."

"No, I meant, your kind." Caroline firmly believed that Connie had known exactly what she meant and had chosen to deliberately misunderstand her. That in mind she didn't actually expect an answer, only reiterating her query in an effort to annoy the other woman. She'd been there for like forever and learnt quickly that Connie didn't volunteer information about herself, seemed to avoid the topic like the plague. So it surprised Caroline when she didn't just turn and walk away.

"What would be your guess Caroline?" she smirked.

"I don't know, I thought you were a witch at first, but that isn't right."

"No, isn't."

"So what are you?" she figured she may as well try. She who dares wins, at least in the movies.

"Old," Connie immediately turned away indicating an end to the conversation.

Caroline wasn't quite ready to drop it. "You healed me didn't you?"

The woman paused in her retreat, but didn't turn.

"The venom, you healed me?" she prodded.

"Yes."

"Thank you."

Connie stiffened ever so slightly and then turned her head until their eyes met. The black eyed woman parted her lips as though to speak but then simply nodded and melted back into the darkness.

Caroline knew she hadn't left, the woman never left, her presence always felt whether within view or not. Sometimes she wondered if the woman was as much a prisoner there as she was herself.

* * *

Silas had stayed in New Orleans; there was simply no other choice but to do so. He should have been employing his time better; he should have been in Mystic Falls working on bringing back the Bennett witch in order to be that one step closer to his Junia, one step closer to denying Qetsiyah victory. He shouldn't have wasted his days following around the Original Hybrid, following the quest to retrieve what was taken. He shouldn't have, but he did.

At first he had made an effort to be discreet, to remain hidden but it hadn't taken long for him to become frustrated, not only with the Hybrid but with himself. They were both of them wasting time he thought. So he made himself known, he sat himself down in a bar full of vampires and waited.

"You're new," a deep voice pronounced.

Silas was amused; the great Marcel King of New Orleans had decided to grace his table. "Not so much."

Marcel smiled wide, "got a name?"

"We aren't going to be friends, best move along," it seemed as though everyone in the room was suddenly on edge.

"This is my town, so you follow my rules, name?" the voice harder, more menacing now.

"Stefan Salvatore," a familiar voice answered.

Silas smiled, "Klaus."

"Friend of yours," Marcel eyes shifted to the Hybrid who merely smiled in response.

"Let's go for a walk mate," Klaus motioned towards the door and then turned and walked out of it.

Silas got up to follow when Marcel grabbed his arm, "Next time Stefan you best show some respect."

"Now why would I do that?" he shook off the offending arm, then grabbed Marcel by the throat.

Marcel looked shocked, less because he'd grabbed him than no one else reacted Silas thought. "Next time we meet you best show some respect," he whispered before releasing the _King_ and leaving. He had walked only a few steps before he turned and found Klaus by his side.

"She's not here," he told him.

"But you are, and why is that?" Silas knew already of course, but appearances and all.

"This is my town."

"The way I heard it, this was your town, now it's Marcels," he watched the Hybrid flume with satisfaction.

"Not for long," he sighed. "Why are you here Stefan?"

"I'm here to help you."

His jaw clenched, "and just how do you propose to do that?"

"I know the location of a certain room," he stopped walking.

Klaus seemed for a moment dumbfounded, and then Silas found himself pushed up against the closest wall. He briefly entertained the idea of throwing the Hybrid off, but decided to continue the pretence.

"How?"

"I followed Marcel," well in his mind anyhow.

"Not possible."

"Everyone was too busy watching you."

The Hybrid didn't look convinced, but released him in any case. "Show me."


	11. Chapter 11

Elena was a mess; worry was itched into her features her deep brown eyes rancid with it. Damon didn't enjoy seeing her in such a state; he didn't deal well with silent wallowing being more of a slash out at the world kind of a guy so standing around attempting to comfort someone who was clearly beyond comforting was difficult for him. That he managed to do it was a reflection upon just how much he loved her, how his heart beat for her alone.

"We will find her Elena, she's going to back here in no time," he hugged her tightly. She nodded against his chest and he pulled back to look in her eyes noting that they hadn't changed. She didn't believe him, and he couldn't blame her – how many people had she lost now anyway? To her it probably seemed a foregone conclusion that Caroline would be taken from her as Bonnie so recently was. Why would she believe him? He still hadn't found a way to bring Judgy back and he'd been working on that for months. He couldn't believe he was going there, but anything for her, "Klaus will find her, you know how obsessed he is with her; no way would he let anything happen to her. Who would he stalk then?"

"But something has happened to her Damon, they took her," her big doe like eyes pierced him.

His hands caressed their way up and down her arms in a soothing motion, "She's coming back." He told her with conviction and was rewarded with a small smile. She leaned in to him, her head coming to rest on his chest as her hands reached up to his shoulders. Damon was tempted to transition from soothing caresses to something of another nature, but held himself back figuring she wouldn't be inclined what with her brother in the room and all.

Of course, upon reflection he reasoned that he could have them out of the room and into his bedroom in record time; his hands slid slowly down her arms and then meet to cup her backside pulling her closer. For a moment her hands held him tighter, but then she seemed to change her mind and pushed him back with force an exasperated expression claiming her features. "Damon!"

He smiled his devilish smile at her, blue eyes flashing and he watched her struggle to suppress an answering smile. For a small moment in time he had made her forget the latest crisis and he felt a prodigious amount of pride for having accomplished such a feat, even when it was fleeting. Elena's eyes soon lost the splash of playfulness the worry again taking up residence.

"Bonnie's spoken to the other witches and they can't help," Jeremy interrupted or Bonnie by proxy, whichever, still an interruption.

"So not helpful, why can't she work some voodoo?"

"Wherever Caroline is we cannot follow," more and more of late Jeremy had taken to repeat Bonnie's word verbatim, Damon thought it was just plain freaky.

"And so I'll ask again, where is it that you lot can't go?" he wondered why he bothered; Judgy just wasn't very useful post death. She did however seem to excel at being a pain in his arse.

Jeremy didn't answer immediately, but Damon could tell from his face that Bonnie had. Little Gilbert was looking at his sister like he thought she might be about to go off to the loonie bin, like he was about to send her there. Damon wished he had waited until after Elena was sound asleep to start this conversation, whatever Bonnie had to say was clearly going to hurt Elena, damage her and he didn't want that. Of course there was no going back now, Elena would refuse to leave without hearing the answer; her eyes were glued to her brothers demandingly. Damon opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off, "what did Bonnie say?" Her voice sounded so small, her eyes large and desperate.

"It could be a spell, I mean there are really powerful witches right, so it could be a spell that's preventing them from finding her," Jeremy spewed out the words, his voice just the little bit too high – obviously they hadn't been Bonnie's.

Elena's eyes narrowed, "what did she say?" Each word was clipped.

"Elena, we have been over this Bonnie doesn't actually know anything she said would only be speculation," Damon tried to sooth her, pulling her back into his arms.

She pushed him off, flashing over to stand before Jeremy, "answer me."

Damon watched as Jeremy gulped and then having taken a large breath replied. "The Afterlife, Bonnie said she might…"

"Nooooo," she wailed at her brother, tears pooling in her doe eyes. "She can't be, if she died…" she turned to Damon pleading "she'd be with Bonnie wouldn't she?"

He wanted to say yes, he wanted to allay her fears; he opened his mouth to tell her of course she was right vampires didn't go to the Afterlife, they couldn't, but then he remembered. Jenna hadn't gone to the Other Side when she died and she was a vampire. Not every supernatural was cursed to the Other Side, so bubbling little Vampire Barbie might not have joined Bonnie had she left this world. He wanted so much to say yes, he tried to, but he couldn't. So instead he pulled her back into a bone crushing hug and cried with her.

* * *

Caroline awoke suddenly, one moment in the depths of a somewhat disturbing dream involving the Original Hybrid and then eyes open sitting-up-awake kind of sudden. Something was wrong, off, different. She took in her surroundings, everything looked the same, same weird living room, same hazy area beyond, same everything. But something was different. Without realising she had gotten up off the couch she found herself on her feet and moving towards the blackness beyond feeling uncomfortable in the lighted area that she had rarely left in all the time she'd spent at the _house. _There was most assuredly something different.

"Connie?" she called out to her jailer, nerves vibrating.

"Connie?" she called louder.

There was no response, which wasn't unusual, but then it struck her what was different, that presence she always felt wasn't there. Connie wasn't there, but Connie was _always_ there, always. Well, up until now she had. Caroline wasn't sure what it meant, but she didn't bother wasting too much time thinking about it, this was an opportunity and she was going to make use of it. She moved further into the darkness, this time with purpose, if she was going to find a way out of wherever the hell she was she needed to find it fast because she knew in her bones Connie's absence would not be of a long duration. Caroline moved swiftly her hands in front of her searching the blackness for freedom, a wall, a door, or at least something.

"Argh," she growled, how was this emptiness just continuing? There had to be an end, didn't there?

Then she saw it, a light in the distance, her heart leaped and she flashed forward, kept moving until the light surrounded her. She stopped and then the smile of triumph that had spread across her face melted into a frustrated frown, she was back where she started.

"Seriously?"

She was annoyed, but she was also Caroline Forbes and she didn't give up, so she tried again … and again … and again. Each and every time she found herself back next to the couch in the living in which she had made herself at home. After the fourth time she kicked the couch in anger, her ire increasing when she failed to move it even an inch.

"This is not happening!"

"Why would you think that?" Connie asked standing just within the reach of the light.

Caroline held up an accusing finger, "you left!"

"Yes," was the uncaring response.

"I want to leave," she whined stamping her foot in a shamefully immature manner.

"And you can … when we are done," like a jury's verdict.

Caroline plopped herself down on the couch, huffing. "You suck."

Connie inclined her head. "No doubt."

"Where did you go?" she asked pleadingly.

The black eyes seemed darker than ever, "home."

"This isn't home then?" she found herself leaning forward eager for an answer.

"No, this … this isn't ..." her voice faded out, her eyes looking past Caroline.

"Are you ever going to tell me?"

"Yes."

"But not now?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Connie's eyebrows lifted and fell. Okay, so Caroline knew it was a stupid question, no need to be condescending - she had every right to be frustrated and to ask any question even if she did know the answer, even if t was stupid.

Caroline nodded, sitting back, "you'll let me go before all my friends are dead though right?"

Connie smiled her little smile, "I thought your friends were supernatural."

"Not all of them, not even half," she dismissed the comment.

"You are very lucky you know," the black eyes found Caroline's.

She cocked her head, "how so?"

"To have so many friends."

Caroline considered the other woman, she didn't seem sad, it was as though she was commenting on the weather. "You don't have many friends?"

A shake of the head, "No."

"Do you have _any_ friends?" somehow she knew the answer.

"No."

Caroline felt sorry for her, but Connie didn't seem effected. "We could be friends," she ventured, not actually overly keen on the idea.

"No," and with that Connie disappeared back into the darkness.

Well now, that was just rude.

* * *

Hayley was ready to pop, and thankfully still among the living even though everything had seemed to go wrong. Caroline was no longer a prisoner, but she wasn't with Klaus, apparently not back in Mystic Falls either which meant the bubbly blonde was most likely dead. Which meant that it was only a matter of time before Klaus came looking for revenge. Nothing in her life had ever gone to plan, so she should have seen it coming, hell she did see it coming, but she'd still opened her trap. She regretted it now, especially as her current state meant that running was not an option, but there was no point whining about it. Plus if who knows how generous Klaus might be feeling if she presented him with a healthy bouncing heir. She'd grown attached to the bump, truth be told, but at the end of the day Hayley was dead keen on not being dead so if she had to she'd give up all rights to the child.

"It won't be long now," Sophie went and stated the obvious.

"Never would have guessed," she replied snidely waddling backwards and forwards. "Any news?"

Sophie shook her head, eyes full of worry. "He appears to be continuing as before."

Maybe that meant little miss perfect was still among the undead living. Maybe there was hope for Hayley's happily ever after yet. "Do you think she might ..."

"No," Sophie cut her off, "we aren't being blocked, there isn't anyone to locate."

Well wasn't she just a joy to spend time with. Don't worry about panicking the heavily pregnant woman. Why didn't she keep her trap shut? One little full moon turn as opposed to an immediate death if lucky and years of running prior to torture and death if she wasn't. However, she didn't feel too sorry for herself, after all she was still better off than Caroline and should she escape Klaus' wrath, should the baby be sufficient to buy her freedom with Caroline no longer among the living there was a very real chance that her happy ever after might be spent with Tyler. Surely her run of bad luck was due to end?

She felt like a beached whale and was excessively grateful that there were no mirrors around, her ankles were swollen, her face puffy. How woman ever claimed that being pregnant was in any way enjoyable she didn't know. It was awful and she was sure that would be the case even if it wasn't insufferably hot or if she was having the baby of someone she actually liked rather than the psycho Hybrid. She despised being pregnant, but no where near as much as she despised Klaus for getting her into that state. The only good thing, the only thing that made it _worth_ it was the promise of the baby at the end. Her son.

But of course, he would never be _her _son. At the end of her pregnancy she would bring a Mikaelson into the world and he would be taken from her. It didn't matter if she loved him, didn't matter that once born he would be the only family she likely had in this world, she wouldn't be allowed to be a part of his life. She wasn't going to get a baby out of this, she wasn't going to see any of his firsts, she wasn't even likely to get the chance to see him. Not even if Klaus hadn't found the answer by the time she gave birth, if not him, the witches would take him. And then if, by some miracle Klaus granted her unheard of leniency, she would once again be alone in the world.

Still, she was better off than Caroline, and when since she had met the blonde had she been able to say that?

**Note: Klaus and Silas are back next chapter.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hopefully this answers more questions than it raises.**

Klaus followed Stefan to the outskirts of New Orleans to a large house in the middle of no where, if he had any doubts that his instincts were right about the truthfulness of his old friend they were now removed. Stefan was lying through his teeth, there was no way he had followed Marcel out here, no way without him noticing that was. He considered the vampire beside him, compared him to the Stefan in his memories, he came up short. Barring possession, there was only one being to his knowledge, which was extensive, that could take on another's form.

Which meant the tales of his demise were just that, tales.

"Took you long enough," Silas said with a large smug smile across Stefan's face.

"I was distracted," he grumbled in response. "Why are you here?"

Stefan's laugh filled the air, "like I said before, I'm here to help you. Now, shall we?" He started towards the house.

Klaus grabbed his arm. "What do you want now?"

"Right now I want to help you find your bargaining chip so that we can get sweet Caroline back, and for you to let me go of course," he looked pointedly at Klaus' restraining hand.

Klaus searched for some sign of deceit, but couldn't find it, not to mean that Silas wasn't lying - he just couldn't detect it. But wait, had he said we? So that _we _can get her back? "What do you want with Caroline?"

Silas sneered, "nothing."

This time Klaus had no difficulty, he was most certainly lying. He looked the other man over, he seemed wired, had been since they met in the bar. "You like her," he said it out loud, all the time hoping he was mistaken.

"It wouldn't matter if I did, I'm here to help you if you do not wish me to assist you go on in there by yourself. See how far you get."

Klaus didn't move, if this was somehow part of Silas' plan, if Caroline was a part of it, he couldn't go any further. Right now Caroline was beyond Silas' reach, perhaps it was better for her to stay there.

"I won't hurt her," Silas told him softly turning his face away as though ashamed of the admission.

He believed him, he was also certain he had never hated Silas more.

"Don't worry Klaus you can still be her _last_," he said tauntingly.

Correction, now he was certain he had never hated Silas more. Klaus trod towards the house as much to get away from the vampire as to complete his mission. Unfortunately Silas was soon by his side. "When I get Caroline back, I'll be requiring the services of one of your witches."

"And there it is," somehow he felt better that there was another motive behind Silas' actions. He'd have felt a whole lot better if it was the only motive, but you couldn't have everything. No, not everything, but Caroline was his...well more his than she would ever be Silas', there was still his irritating hybrid in the way after all.

"She finds him irritating half the time, of course the other half he's the sweetest dog in the world. You handled it badly you know, if you hadn't made him leave town thereby making them star-crossed lovers he'd be out of her life by now. He's completely wrong for her, like Riley and Buffy wrong."

What on earth was he on about? And why did he feel the need to give Klaus relationship advice? Especially when it was becoming very clear that the vampire had feelings for Caroline himself. Had someone stabbed him the heart with a white oak stake? Was he now residing in his own personal hell? "I take it Stefan is still back in Mystic Falls?"

"Literally mate," Silas winked and chuckled softly. Then he suddenly stopped and threw his arm out in front of Klaus, "stop, we can't go past this point."

"And just why is that?"

"It will end badly, but if you want to test it go ahead," he dropped his arm.

Klaus didn't move, he believed Silas. "What do you suggest?"

"Well I suggest you introduce me to a witch."

Some part of him found it amusing that necessity now dictated that he give Silas precisely what he wanted. The decision about which witch to throw in Silas' path was ridiculously easy, how many witches had tried to murder the love of his existence? Precisely one. It was a pleasure to dial her number, a joy when he heard her voice on the other line, "Sophie love."

"_Klaus, Hayley is practically in labor, I do hope you have news."_

Oh how she was an insufferable bitch, he'd almost forgotten what fun was, "I believe I've found the location of your problem."

There was a moment of deadly silence,_ "where?"_

_"_I'll text you directions, your assistance is required."

_"With what?"_

"Not precisely sure, there appears to be some type of barrier, we can't get past it."

_"Who's we?"_

"Why myself and my old friend Stefan Salvatore," he smirked at Silas.

_"I'll come, but I will bring a couple friends of my own."_

"The more the merrier sweetheart," he hung up and then quickly text the directions. A minute or two later Sophie sent a text back advising they would be there in twenty minutes. He looked up to find Silas watching him with a solemn expression he knew too well, "why Stefan?"

"Well he is my doppelganger."

"I'll be damned," Klaus breathed out.

"Aren't we all?" Silas winked.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later Sophie pulled up in pick up truck with two men who were clearly werewolves and another tall dark haired man who Klaus pegged as a witch. "Sophie, lovely to see you again. Stefan say hi to Sophie."

Silas stepped forward and bowed slightly, "pleasure to make your acquaintance my dear."

"Wish I could say the same. Where's this barrier?"

Klaus pointed her towards the house, he watched as the tall man and Sophie moved forward stopping just a few feet from where Silas had stopped him.

"Whoever did this is powerful, but we can remove it. We'll need a few minutes."

"Take your time love, it's not as though Marcel would send every vampire in New Orleans to protect the source of his power," he smiled wide as she turned a ghostly shade of white.

Silas chuckled.

Just eight minutes later Sophie was motioning them forward, Klaus waited for one of the werewolves to cross the invisible line before he crossed himself. Sophie took the lead in the house, checking for any further obstacles Then sooner than he would have thought they were outside the door. Klaus raised a questioning eyebrow, but both the witches and Silas answered with a shoulder shrug. Everything within him told him not to go through that door, but for that part of him that Caroline held he pushed forward and found himself in, of all things, a bedroom. Before him a young woman.

"You must be Klaus, Marcel has told me all about you."

Klaus strode in, confidence personified, "has he love?"

She swallowed noticeably, clearly frightened, "I'm Davina."

"Don't fret pet, we aren't going to hurt you, we just came for what your friend Marcel is using to control Sophie and her friends," he waved a hand towards the two witches who appeared frozen in place.

"It's her," Silas said softly drawing Klaus' attention.

"What do you mean it's her?" no witch could be that powerful.

"Witches have diminished in power, their strength watered down as their blood did. Qetsiyah was a hundred times more powerful than the strongest coven in these times, even had it included Bonnie Bennett, I was more so. She's a throw back, her blood replenished somehow, stronger," his eyes were fixed on the young witch.

Klaus had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, what was it she had said? _"You are only here because someone sent you."_

He knew that his window of opportunity was closing so he stopped stalling and flashed forward intent on breaking the girls neck, but before he could reach her he found himself airborne. He crashed into the wall behind him, almost went straight through it and it was brick. He pulled himself up quickly and moved forward at the same time that the werewolves attacked, only to be sent flying backwards yet again fairing better than one of the werewolves who was sent to his death out the window head first. After that it was the witches turn, but even with Klaus, the remaining werewolf and even Silas providing distracting attacks the witches were both soon on their knees blood spurting from their noses. Klaus shared a look with Silas who nodded once then grabbed Sophie and jumped from the window, he followed close behind.

"What now?" Silas asked.

"Now I go see Caroline's keeper."

Silas nodded, "will she be released?"

"I believe so," truth be told, he wasn't at all sure.

"I won't be coming with you," he lifted Sophie into his arms bridal style. "Keep Caroline out of Mystic Falls."

"Why?"

"I'm done playing," and then he was gone_._

* * *

_"_Caroline," the voice called her to consciousness. "Caroline, wake up." She opened her eyes one at a time and upon finding two black ones staring into them she leaped up. "Oh my God, why would you do that?"

"You needed to wake up."

"But did you really need to get so close?" Come on, seriously? No one you weren't having sex with should get that close.

Connie tossed her a blood bag, "drink that."

Caroline started drinking, not because she was told to mind you, but because she felt like it. That was her story and she was sticking to it. When the bag was empty she felt a little bit more forgiving about the whole waking her up and getting stalkerish close, a teeny tiny bit.

"I'm going out," Connie announced with the eminence of a royal birth.

"Home again?" she asked in a bitter tone.

"No, Caroline, I'm going out into your world."

"Which would make this...?"

"Difficult to explain."

"Why don't you try?" her tone wasn't improving any.

Connie didn't seem to mind, forever unmoved by anything and everything it seemed. "In simple terms, this is a bridge or a gateway between my world and yours, rather it is one of them."

"A gateway," she nodded her approval of the term. "How many are there?"

"This is the only one with any permanence," she paused. "And then only when I reside in it."

And just when she had thought they were getting somewhere, "you left before."

"Yes I did," the small smile back yet again.

"This place didn't disappear."

"No it didn't."

"So clearly it doesn't just exist when you are in it," she smiled wide, awaiting the back track.

"Right you are," she nodded in an almost approving manner.

It wasn't the satisfying victory Caroline was expecting, she didn't even feel pleased that Connie admitted she was wrong, she felt a wee bit on edge. "Has no one ever been here when you've left before?"

"One or two across the centuries."

"What happened to them?"

"They were not here when I came back," she advised.

"So they left, people can leave when you do?"

"Could you leave when I did Caroline?"

"I couldn't find the way out."

"They couldn't either," it was like she was reading out a grocery list for all the emotion in it.

So obviously they had died, or ceased to exist or whatever, they weren't alive anymore. So why was she? There was an explanation, and it was one Connie clearly believed she was capable of reaching without further assistance as she didn't appear inclined to speak again. Caroline looked down at her hands and her eyes fell upon the empty blood bag - if this place only existed when Connie was in it and Caroline had kept it open in her absence then it was obvious who's blood she had been drinking. "It's your blood."

Connie clapped her hands together once, high praise indeed, "the blood bank doesn't deliver this far out."

Wait was that a joke? Connie had cracked a joke? Welcome to the Twilight Zone. "But that means ..." Caroline felt her cheeks begin to burn, her anger building. "You left before, you can't have known what would happen, you could have killed me!"

"Yes," and she nodded in agreement.

She nodded, that was it, no I'm sorry I endangered your life Caroline, I'm sorry I lied to you Caroline, I'm sorry I used you Caroline. Why the hell was it always her? Why was her life never important? "You bitch," she fumed.

She shrugged, "I've been called worse. Now focus Caroline."

"You have got to be kidding me, FOCUS? Focus on this," and she gave her the finger. Not Caroline's finest come back to be sure, but she had just woken up.

"Or don't, but in any case, I am going out."

"You said that already," she crossed her arms, jutting out her chin.

"Indeed. You are obviously staying here, but should your attitude improve upon my return Caroline I will allow you go home," she held up a finger warning against Caroline's intended interjection, "there is, naturally, a condition. You will be allowed to return to your life, but you will come back if I require you again. Now, I really must make haste, he is waiting for me," she melted into darkness.

"Who?" Caroline had the strangest feeling. "Who?" she asked a little louder, but then she sensed the change, Connie had left the _building_.


	13. Chapter 13

**I apologize for the extended delay.**

There was little doubt that she had never been more broken, but like all those times preceding she reached a point where she simply could not cry anymore, and once her eyes dried she pulled herself to her feet. Once on her feet she put one foot in front of the other and as she did so she rebuilt herself yet again. She was foolish, she knew, she had always let things affect her too deeply, felt too much. Felt so much that when the inevitable happened and her dreams were shattered the disappointment, the heartache was crippling. But she got up, she moved on … with a little more baggage … this too she would get past. There was no other choice.

That said, Rebekah was not ready to deal with people, especially people she knew, particularly her brothers so when Elijah appeared at her side she was less than kind, "Bugger off."

He looked at her with an expression so full of concern that she felt like tearing his head off. "What happened?" he asked in that calm yet caring tone she suddenly despised.

"What always happens, silly little Rebekah buys into a fantasy and gets her heart broken."

"Rebekah, it is unfortunate what transpired, but Niklaus isn't going to kill her whilst she is carrying his child. He may have cared deeply for Miss Forbes, but family has always come first," he said earnestly taking her hand in his.

She found herself doing something she didn't think she was yet capable of, laughing. She laughed so hard tears came to her eyes; somehow it was just hilarious viewing such gullibility, especially from Elijah the paragon of sensibility. "Seriously?" she turned to face him. "Nik is going to kill that were-whore, he's going to bath in the witches' blood, and then he's going to tear each and every one of those werewolves that shelter them."

He shook his head disbelieving, "he won't kill his son. He promised."

She closed her eyes, searching for the strength to tell him, the strength to say the words out loud. To know it to be true was one thing, but to have to say it … to hammer in that last nail and enclose the dearest of dreams within a coffin for all time, that took strength and she needed a moment to find it. "It's not his, what Hayley is carrying, it's not a Mikealson," she breathed out, knowing the weight of the words.

Elijah looked genuinely perplexed, "Rebekah I compelled Hayley myself, she lay with no other. The child is Niklaus' I assure you."

"I'm sorry Elijah but your wrong, Nik wasn't lying, the child isn't his," she smiled sadly squeezing his hand.

He shook his head. "Just how did Nik come to such a conclusion?"

Rebekah paused, unsure how to convince him of what she now knew to be true when she had no particulars to sway him with. Nik hadn't told her, but he hadn't needed to. It was enough that she knew he was certain, because if he was it was an irrefutable fact. Of course, that wasn't an argument that would convince Elijah, he needed the facts. "He didn't tell me."

He nodded, "did he appear upset?"

Rebekah sighed, knowing precisely where he was headed and she refused to assist him.

So naturally he took her silence as confirmation. "Our brother has always felt an overwhelming need to lash out when he is hurting. Do you not think it a possibility he advised you the child is not his in order to make you as miserable as him?"

His words meant to elevate her woes compounded them, nothing was so sure to kill any lingering hope than finding Elijah's cool logic so easy to dismiss. "I want to believe you Elijah, truly I do, but you didn't see him, you didn't hear the words pass his lips. They were not uttered to make me wallow as he was, they were spoken reluctantly and however much I may wish it to be otherwise I know that what he said was true. But then, could it ever have been otherwise?"

"What do you mean?"

"Have the last thousand years taught you nothing big brother?" she let out a hallow laugh turning away from his searching eyes. "Everyone thinks you are the moral Original, but we both know who really held that title and look where that got him. Finn was the first dispatched to the Other Side. Then the one time Kol tries to do something worthy the doppelganger bitch has her brother shove a stake through his chest. We are not rewarded for good deeds Elijah, all we ever get is ash." She dropped his hand, "We are cursed as surely now as the day our parents killed us so why do you think any one of us would be granted the blessing of a child?"

"Without hope, what are we?" he stared past her.

"Mikealsons." It was all suddenly so clear to her, so very clear and so very bleak. Elijah had built his dreams of their family reborn and Nik's redemption around the child, but he had been mistaken, tragically so. She turned back to him and wondered if she should tell him. If she should drive the stake in further or allow him time to recover. "We've lost him you know."

"He's not beyond redemption Rebekah, not even if the child isn't his."

"He didn't feel deeply for Miss Forbes Elijah, he _loved_ her," she watched him absorb the words, watched as regret claimed his features. "Even if that child was his, it wouldn't make a difference, not now."

"I promised them," his shoulder's square, lips a thin line.

"You cannot save them Elijah, please don't try."

* * *

After one thousand years he had been fairly certain that he had experienced all there was to experience, however that was before he had the displeasure of the unnerving feeling that overtook him upon turning to find her standing beside him. It wasn't that no one had ever snuck up on him before, well actually, it wasn't _just_ that no one had snuck up on him before, it was that she had and she was never meant to occupy space within his realm let alone the space directly next to him. "Where's Caroline?"

"Being of use. Now Niklaus, care to share the purpose of your visit?" she asked holding out her hand.

He took it reluctantly, suppressing the shudder at her touch.

"Let's go Niklaus." She spoke a minute later.

It took him a moment to process what she had said, but then he turned and walked back to his car. In no time at all they were in the vehicle on their way to New Orleans, not a word was spoken for the entire journey - much to his relief. When they arrived at the property he noted that in his absence the cavalry had arrived, the place swarming with Marcel's disciples.

"What now?" he questioned, turning towards her to find her already half way out of the car, he sighed and joined her.

"How quaint, there's a welcoming committee," she observed dark eyes gleaming.

Klaus watched as a dozen vampires approached them, he noted from the corner of his eye that she was as calm as ever. One of their number separated himself, stepping forward, "you aren't welcome here, best you leave." He spoke forcefully, seemed sure they would listen.

The woman beside him smiled. "We are here to see Davina; I suggest you let us pass."

The vampire laughed and turned back to his cohorts, "she suggests we let her pass." They all joined him in laughter, assured no doubt by the perceived strength of their numbers. One moment they were laughing and the next each of their heads were cleaved from their bodies, she had moved so quickly that Klaus had barely caught it.

"Come," she motioned to him and stepped over the corpses towards the house.

Klaus followed without comment, for once a mere bystander to carnage as she smote a path through Marcel's loyal sycophants. The ease with which she dispatched them might have been humorous if it wasn't so disquieting. In less time than he would have expected he found himself back in the attic room, Marcel and Davina in front of them.

"Klaus," Marcel greeted him moving in front of the girl.

Klaus nodded in acknowledgment and turned his attention to his black eyed companion. "Davina," she spoke the name softly, beckoning the girl with a hand. "Let us have a look at you."

"Stay away from her," Marcel growled.

"Marcel," Davina's voice was barely above a whisper. "You need to move."

He turned to the girl, his voice turning soft, "don't worry, I won't let anyone hurt you."

To say that Klaus was surprised would be an understatement, clearly the girl was more than just a resource to Marcel; his protégé obviously cared deeply for the girl. Klaus wasn't sure if the other man was aware of just how precarious his position was just yet, but he rather thought it wouldn't matter to Marcel – if need be the man would die for the girl.

"I'd listen to the girl Marcel," she advised in that too calm voice of hers.

Marcel turned back to them one hand behind him holding the girl to his back as though intent on shielding her. "I'm not moving."

She cocked her head as though amused, "so you say." And then she flicked her hand to the left and Klaus watched as Marcel was propelled into the wall beside the bed. "Now Davina, take my hand."

The girl's eyes were fixed on Marcel who was attempting to regain his feet, judging by the man's difficulties Klaus presumed broken bones were delaying him. Davina turned back towards them, eyes beginning to tear, "will you promise not to hurt him?"

His companion said nothing, just held her hand out waiting. Klaus could now hear Marcel's bones mending, knew that in less than a minute the man would be back on his feet again. The girl seemed to know this as well for just a few seconds later his head exploded in pain and he fell to his knees. From the corner of his eye he saw her black eyes turn towards him and then relief as her eyes found his. One moment later she was in front of Davina her hand around the girl's neck.

"Please, he's all I have," the girl croaked out.

"Just this once," she replied and then snapped the girl's neck, dropping her lifeless body to the ground.

"Nooooooo!" Marcel yelled as he dragged himself to the girl's side and pulled her into his embrace. "Why?" he looked up at her with a devastated expression.

"She was not meant to be, not here, not now. It may be of comfort for you to know that she shall not linger on the Other Side, I have granted her peace," she turned towards Klaus. "We are leaving."

Klaus' eyes were locked on Marcel's, he watched as the other man leaped at her back clearly intent on removing her head from her body. She turned, caught him by the arm and tossed him backwards as though he was a rag doll. "Do not think you have the power to injure me, do not think you have the ability to so much as inconvenience me, you are to me as an ant is to you and were it not for my promise to the girl I would erase your existence without a care." Throughout her voice never rose above a whisper, her tone even and deadly calm. "Move on from this if you can, die if you cannot. Revenge is beyond your capabilities." She turned from Marcel and walked out the door.

"I'm sorry," he didn't know why he said it, but he couldn't prevent the words from leaving his lips. Marcel did not reply and he left him to grieve joining her back at the car. "Was that necessary?"

"Perhaps not," she got in the car. "Then again, perhaps it was. Either way, how is your concern?"

He knew better than to answer. "Am I to take you back?" he asked instead.

"Not yet," she turned her black eyes to his again.

"Where to?" he turned the key in the ignition awaiting her orders.

"Now I should very much like to meet Hayley."


	14. Chapter 14

**I am ever hopeful that this will eliminate a lot of the confusion. **

"It's time," one of the minders told her. "Push," as though it was easy, as though it didn't hurt like a bitch.

Hayley wasn't a people person, werewolves generally weren't, but she found her current company exceedingly irritating; much like her current situation, "Shut up," she growled out before doing precisely what they told her to. Hayley had experienced pain, the excruciating pain of breaking every bone in her body, so it should have been well within her limits of endurance, only in the moment she found it difficult to recall having ever hurt so much.

"Just one more push and he'll be out," they told her.

Just one more and she'd have a son she told herself. One more and she wouldn't be alone in the world, if only for the few precious minutes... seconds...that they would allow her to spend in his company. Regardless, there would be another in this world that she knew for certain was of her blood, a connection to another that could never be taken however far the distance between them.

"Now," they ordered.

And so she pushed, and pushed, and then she heard, what was perhaps the most joyous noise she had ever heard, the child cry. Her child cried and though she was aware that shortly she would need to exchange any claim she held on him in order to remain among the living she felt an overwhelming need to hold him, to possess him. "Can I hold him?" she didn't like that her voice was weak, that she was practically begging. She didn't beg, she never begged. "Please," she pleaded, reaching out towards the bundle in the strangers arms.

"Let her see the child," a new voice ordered.

Hayley's eye rose to the new entrant, an equal mixture of gratitude and despair bubbling inside her. "Thank you Elijah," she breathed as her son was placed in her opened arms. She looked down upon him, he was perfect and for a short moment in time he was all hers. A smile claimed her features.

"We should go Elijah," a female voice Hayley recognized as belonging to the blonde original sounded.

Her face fell; she sighed heavily and then looked up to meet their eyes. "Take him."

Rebekah smiled sadly and then said the last thing Hayley expected to hear. "He'll be staying with you." The blonde flicked her wrist looking a particular brand of bored. "Elijah we shouldn't be here."

Hayley turned her attention to the other original, his face told her nothing but his shoulders seemed tense. If he was worried she was certain that, whatever the cause, it couldn't bode well for her. And if there was any doubt the blonde's insistent upon their leaving removed it. A chill was creeping up her spine, her mouth was dry, swallowing was becoming difficult.

"I made a promise," Elijah answered looking directly into Hayley's eyes.

A thousand questions flitted through her mind, but none made it to her tongue. Her blood was icy in her veins, a horrid certainty gripped her, the stuff of her nightmares was to become reality. Elijah's words made it all too clear, Klaus was coming and her chances of surviving the encounter were slim to none. What of her son though? Why did Rebekah insist the child was to stay with her? Was he to share her fate? No, Klaus would not raise his hand against his own blood, not even he was such a monster. So why then was bile rising in her throat, why did her son cry out as though in warning?

There was no time to ask for at that precise moment Klaus himself entered the room accompanied by a strange-looking woman whose dark eyes were trained upon hers. Hayley felt her entire being quake, her son suddenly silent as though realising it was not in his best interest to attract attention. Time seemed to slow, she watched petrified as Elijah moved between the new comers and her, a shield she doubted would do anything but delay the now inevitable.

"Niklaus, he is your son, don't do this," Elijah's beseeching voice echoed in her ears.

Klaus' face betrayed no emotion, "I have no son."

Hayley gulped, he would not stay his hand, angry Klaus was one thing but this deceptively calm one was something else - this was the legendary monster, the most feared of all the Originals, and he had come for her. If she could have found the will she would have risen from her bed and left her son behind her, but she didn't have it and in the end could her son hope to survive her when Klaus had already disowned him. Every frightening tale of Klaus' revenge upon others flooded her head, she had heard only one first hand, that of Katherine, and for a few brief shameful seconds she felt a spark of hope at the possibility that Klaus would kill only her son in order to punish her.

"Move your brother before I do," a cold voice ordered drawing everyone's attention to the strange woman by Klaus' side.

For a moment nothing happened and then Klaus was pressing Elijah against the far wall and the woman was beside her. "May I?" the woman asked hand poised above her son.

Hayley's eyes sought out Rebekah's silently pleading for assistance; the blonde's eyes turned away to fix upon her brothers and with them went the last of her hope. She turned her eyes back to the woman, nodding her ascent. The woman's fingers descended and swept softly against her son's cheek, before coming to rest upon Hayley's arm. Hayley felt a small electric shock at the point of contact; then a flood of images flashed past her eyes, familiar and foreign all at the same time – like the memory of a dream. Soon enough the woman released her hold and stepped back, her face an unreadable mask.

"I am finished here," she announced to the room in general before turning towards the door.

Hayley finally found her voice, "What?"

The woman, whose eyes Hayley now noted were black - no distinguishable pupil - turned towards her once more. Though her face was unchanged there was something about her that led Hayley to believe the question was testing the woman's patience. "Your child is unexceptional. I have gleaned the limited knowledge you possessed, therefore you no longer serve a purpose and I am finished here."

Because that made sense, "What are you talking about?"

"Your child is a werewolf Hayley; he inherited the curse from yourself being that his father was human…"

"No, Klaus is the father," she cut in.

"You are mistaken, memories are relatively easy to manipulate for my kind and you had the misfortune to come in contact with one. Now, I have somewhere else to be so do excuse me," the black eyes refocused on Klaus. "I'll be in the car, don't keep me waiting long," and with that she left the room.

Hayley felt somewhat lighter as though a repressive weight had been lifted off her, and for a shining moment in time she felt as though she would escape unscathed. Naturally the Hybrid bastard felt inclined to ruin it. "I am aware of your transgressions sweetheart."

She molded her features in her best semblance of surprise, "I was certain he was yours, I still don't see how he isn't." She knew of course to what he was referring, but she firmly believed that her chances of leaving the place alive would increase if she could instill some measure of doubt that she had played a part in the whole Caroline affair. In fact she had the distinct impression that this would be her sole opportunity to distance herself, to save herself.

"Do I strike you as a particularly gullible individual Hayley?" it was the calmness of his voice that most worried her.

"No," the word barely made it past her lips.

He smirked, "as luck would have it sweetheart I've a pressing engagement, but rest assured I will be dedicating some of my rather considerable resources to hunting you down and delivering you to a most unpleasant and extended end. No one strikes at me with impunity."

"I swear I didn't know they were going..."

He cocked his head, "ticktock Hayley, my business won't take long so you best start running."

"Niklaus," Elijah interjected gaining his brother's attention.

"Big brother, I am aware you promised to keep the whore and her offspring save and have no doubt that, even in the knowledge that the child is not of my line, you are reluctant to break your sacred word. I'm going to make it easier for you," he spread his arms wide. "I promise that if you assist this trollop escape my wrath Katherine will face it in her stead, now I really mustn't keep the lady waiting any longer," he turned and exited, smirk firmly in place.

Her eyes focused on Elijah who stared at the space his brother had occupied, his forehead ceased with worry. As though he could feel her eyes fixed upon him he turned back to face her, his features forming a neutral mask.

"Are you sufficiently recovered?" he asked her politely.

Undoubtedly she was not in the best shape of her life, but she was confident that she was fit to travel. The words, in her opinion, were not well chosen as it was unlikely that she would ever recover - sufficiently or otherwise - her life as it was, was now over. She was not to endure the boredom of being stuck in one place again, running was to become her new favorite past time. She could only hope that she would have the same affinity for it as Katherine had. Her son snuggled into her chest. "What will happen to him?"

"He is your son, his place is with you," the male Original advised.

She held back the bitter laugh that attempted to force itself from her throat, so now the child was hers, now when her continued existence depended upon her falling off the face of the planet she was to take the child with her. Children needed things that adults could go without, whilst she could leave with the clothes on her back her son could not. Running with him would be the hardest thing she had ever had to do, she needed help but one look at the two Originals before her told her she would receive little of it from them.

Elijah held a wad of cash towards her, "take this and go."

Hayley pushed herself up, kept her face neutral by sheer force of will and took what she was sure would be the only help Elijah would be offering. Having spent most of her life chasing it, she recognized love when she saw it, Elijah would not endanger Katherine most especially not for someone like her. Her only value had been in the presumption that her son was a Mikaelson, that the one night Klaus had used her body in an attempt to forget Miss Perfect and was thought to have impregnated her in the process had made her worth saving. With that all now forgotten, the Originals had lost interest, in her and in her son.

Well, clearly not all the Originals, one of them was very interested, just not in her well being. Hayley imagined that however hard running might prove, getting caught would be beyond her worst nightmares, there was a reason Klaus was the most feared. She didn't want to feel his wrath first hand. And so, with her son clutched to her chest, she began her new life.

She ran.

* * *

Caroline was bored out of her brains. She felt as though Connie had been gone for an eon and with absolutely nothing to occupy herself other than sipping from blood bags the woman had left her or sleeping or thinking, and she was about ready to pull out her hair in frustration. Time didn't just drag on it crawled slower than a snail scaling Mt Everest, blood bags, sleeping, thinking, ranting, sleeping, ranting, ranting ... well you get the idea. Of course it could have been worse, instead of dying of boredom on the bridge to nowhere she could have been hanging on the Other Side with Bonnie, then again that wasn't an entirely unattractive prospect. She had plenty of time to miss her witch bestie, her doppelganger bestie, her vampire bestie, hell there were times she actually missed Salvadork, and if she was dead on the Other Side at least she wouldn't be alone.

She had already drunk a blood bag, ranted about the injustice of being once again held against her will, and slept for an indecent amount of time, so she was back to thinking. Specifically about life AB, After Bonnie. Reviewing the last few months - on the out side, who knew how long she'd been coped up - she couldn't help but wonder what she had been thinking, why she hadn't finally left all the Mystic Falls crap behind her and forged a new, better, existence without it. Going to college so close had been a mistake, she was a vampire for god's sake she could have compelled herself in anywhere ... hell, she didn't even need to compel she had gotten in to schools elsewhere, far far away elsewhere.

She should have gone, she should have left the drama behind her - she didn't need the badie of the week rubbish. Caroline shouldn't have been hanging around to be kidnapped for the umpteen time, she should have been off in the big wide world enjoying her eternal life, but she hadn't. It had taken time to piece herself back together AB that was true, but once color returned to her world she needed to get her arse out of dodge and yet she'd stayed. Why didn't she ever do what was best for her? Not even when doing so wouldn't have really hurt those she loved? Elena was fine, her mother was fine, Jeremy, Damon, Matt all fine. Stefan? Well, he could have left with her. And Tyler, of course, they would have left together. They could have all lived happily ever after if they could only get far enough away from Mystic bloody Falls.

It was what she needed, she really should have done it. But she didn't. Why was that? She wondered for what felt like the thousandth time. For the first time in the long while she had been trapped with naught but Connie for company she was overcome with that uneasy feeling that she had forgotten something. That important something that sent her to be captured in Mystic Falls, that something that she had been oh so desperate to discuss with Bonnie, yet somehow managed to push aside since. She tried to remember the first time she had felt it, the first moment that perpetual queasiness had taken over, but she couldn't recall other than it was certainly AB. Before her friends death it wasn't there, she was sure of it, even with all the Silas drama and end of the world as we know it disaster in the making it hadn't been there. So what brought it on?

It wasn't something she could put her finger on, much like she couldn't quite determine the moment Stefan came undone and was remade into his latest version. "Uh, my brain hurts," she told the ether.

"You're over thinking it, it's actually quite obvious," Connie surprised her by answering.

"You're back!" it wasn't that she actually enjoyed Connie's company as such, it was that she was sick of being alone. She flashed to the woman's side and hugged her before she even realized what she was doing. Needless to say Connie didn't hug her back, she merely stood stock still until Caroline removed her arms and moved to a respectable distance. "So how was your trip?" she asked brightly, grateful for the end of her solitary confinement.

"Not as productive as hoped, still I neutralized a threat and now know the identity of the responsible party so it was well worth the effort."

Caroline wondered who had suffered the misfortune of being "neutralized" but thought better than asking, instead, "who was the responsible party?"

Connie meet her inquiring gaze, for a moment it appeared there would be no answer, but then, "one of my kind."

"I thought the whole reason I was here was because you couldn't leave this place, well except when you have a poor unsuspecting vampire acting as your placeholder," it had been a while since she ranted with an audience.

"That is true of myself, but not of him. Things are not now as they once were. Long ago this place was not required, my kind moved freely, too freely. My kind is not, for lack of a better word, humane. We do not feel as you do, we are not affected by the suffering of others, we were not made that way," she paused, her gaze fixed upon something Caroline could not see. "Our nature, our lack of regard for the feelings of lesser beings, heaped misfortune upon your world. Our interactions with your ancestors boarded on disastrous, and some among us believed we were lessened by the pettiness of it all. However, the amusement granted by your kind was difficult for all of us to forego, there was a war - a long insufferable thing in which weapons were forged to kill that which could not die and those who had never known what it was to bleed turned the earth red. There were no winners understand, all lost, your kind included. When it was over we closed each pathway to your world but this, and this can only be opened by me, only exists whilst I keep it open."

She really didn't understand a whole lot of what she had been told, it sounded like the stuff of legends, then again wasn't she now a thing of legend? "Why do you keep it open?" she figured she had to ask something.

"Not all of my kind retired, some were too weakened by battle to find their way home, most died. A few, a hand full, survived. The door remained open for them, and now all but one has past from your world."

"The responsible party?" she ventured.

Connie gave that little smile of hers, "yes."

"So what, now you both leave?" was it wrong to sound so hopeful?

"He has no intention of leaving, that much is clear."

"How is that clear?"

"However weakened he may be he infused within a girl the power of the witches of old, such interference is forbidden."

It didn't take much to connect the dots, the girl was clearly the threat that was neutralized. Caroline wondered what the girl had been like, had she had a family that loved her, friends that would mourn her, was she like Caroline herself? "What happens now?" she asked in a small voice.

"Now, I wait for him to show himself, and you ... you will go back."

Caroline's spirits soared. "I'm going home?"

Connie shook her head, "you still have value to me, so I'm afraid you cannot return to your old life."

Somehow even though she had decided she didn't want to go anywhere near Mystic Falls being told she wasn't allowed to made her angry. "So what? Am I to be held prisoner for the remainder of my days now?"

"Not at all, merely until I end him or he ends me, afterwards you are free to do as you will. Of course should I be the one consigned to oblivion your days will surely be numbered. No matter, whilst awaiting the outcome you will reside in New Orleans and make every effort not to die in the fast approaching battle to take place there."

What? "So because I'm so important, you're shipping me off to a war zone?"

"Caroline, no matter where you go you will be a target, but in New Orleans you will have protection."

Great, she'd have protection. Hopefully it was of a better variety than she'd had to date, cause frankly that sucked. She couldn't help but feel a wee bit bitter, here she'd been Connie's little blood slave for like _ever_ and as her reward she was being shipped into yet another battle zone. "Gee, thanks."

"Caroline, I am not ungrateful for your service, however unwillingly given. If there is something within my power which you desire, other than a return to your old life of course, I shall give it to you."

Was there something? No, the only things she desired were beyond anyone's abilities, even freaky black-eyed supernatural mental cases. "I don't think you have anything I want."

Connie's eyes bored into hers for a moment before she placed her hand upon her arm and patted it, much like one would a dog Caroline mused.

"I am placing you into the care of one who will make every effort to insure that not only will you survive, but that you will be kept safe while the war rages," though her tone didn't change, she seemed a touch condescending.

Caroline's heart leaped, she was fairly certain to whom Connie was referring, but she just had to ask. "Klaus?"

The black-eyed woman nodded, "he awaits you my dear." She waved her hand and then Caroline found herself in the open air stumbling in her disorientation.

Two hands slid around her waist holding her steady, she knew without looking whose warm hands held her. "Klaus," she whispered, her eyes closing briefly before opening to find his beautiful blue-green eyes, more blue than green today she noted, staring back into hers.

His fingers brushed her cheek. "Caroline," he said her name like he revered it, his breath ghosting across her lips leaving them tingling. He pulled her further into his arms, crushing her to his chest and as she inhaled his scent she was overcome with a need to be as close to him as possible. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she was home.

"Caroline," the voice interrupted their moment.

Caroline's head snapped up, her body gravitating towards the voice, she would recognize that voice anywhere. "Bonnie," she stuttered out, tears pooling in her eyes as they settled upon her friend standing not five feet away from her. Her eyes turned to Klaus, "do you see her?"

"Yes," he uttered seemingly just as astonished.

Caroline turned back in time to take a leaping Bonnie into her arms, tears streaming down both their cheeks. _Thank you, Connie. _"Thank you."


	15. Chapter 15

Silas had been enjoying himself, and that was despite the disappointment of Sophie Deveraux who, it turned out, was not the most useful of minions to have inherited, well kidnapped. He'd been back in the Hellmouth, Caroline's influence was enduring, for only a few days and he had already taken over. There really weren't too many of the towns folk left that he didn't control, it had been surprisingly easy to absorb their free will once he put his mind to it, he had after all been gorging himself since he re-entered society. Being that he'd initially determined it counterproductive to reveal himself to the general populace following Stefan's trip over the falls, he'd been discretely sating his insatiable thirst with the student body of Whitmore College and blood bags donated by the residents of New York City. As it was a bit difficult to go unnoticed if the student roll was decimated he had refrained from killing anyone, but that was back when he had presumed certain elements of the supernatural population would be more inclined to assist his doppelganger than himself and actually believed that with such assistance his goals would be achieved.

Since his return from best friend duties in New Orleans, being confident in the Hybrid's ability to retrieve the bubbly blonde, he had dispensed with the whole under the radar strategy. In short order he'd left a few desiccated husks on the journey back, and once within the bosom of Mystic Falls he'd redirected the blood bank donee pool so that they now made their donations to him personally. Physically he hadn't felt better, he'd never felt more powerful, more in control, more _him_. But no matter how many he controlled, how many he drained, he was no closer to achieving his goals, still frustrated, and once again alone in the darkness. He fluctuated between marvelling at his own magnificence and enraged at his impotence.

He looked on as Sophie demonstrated yet again how a poor a substitute she was for the Bennett witch, first she had established her ineptitude by falling to return the bitch's descendant to the realm of the living and now she was on the verge of outliving her usefulness being that she was apparently incapable of even contacting the girl. His eyes narrowed as she tried and failed the third time in a row, he watched as she wiped her sweaty palm on the material of her skirt clearly at a loss as to why she couldn't deliver.

"I don't understand, I should at least be able to sense her presence even if she refuses to communicate," she told him hands pinching at the material covering her thighs.

And he had thought the Bennett witch was annoying, at least she could work a simple spell. Granted his little episode at the town square* might have caused Bennett's withdrawal, but he really hadn't thought she'd give up on the town without a fight. Yet, she wasn't there, she had seemingly abandoned the town's folk to their fates – they were her people, her friends, her family and she had just left. It didn't fit what he knew of the self-sacrificing witch; shouldn't she be working furiously on the Other Side to reverse the damage he had inflicted? Shouldn't she be present and accounted assisting the desperate little band of hold outs? He had thought he knew her, thought that he could predict her actions, he had been sure that she and her little band would bend to his will and he would, at long last, finally claim victory over Qetsiyah.

"Try again," he ordered coolly. He knew of course that it wasn't going to work, the witch had followed every step precisely, enunciated each word perfectly and it hadn't worked, so clearly making her try again would garner the same results – none. What was it they said about the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results? He resolved that this would be the last time, after her next failure he would drain her dry.

Minutes later Sophie's appointed time of death arrived, but annoying to the last she held up her hand and begged for a moment, her mind working overtime, moving from thoughts so quickly he had difficulty keeping up. Her eyes widened briefly and then she bought herself a reprieve, "does she have any relatives in town?"

"A father," he advised, not able to gleam exactly what she was thinking.

"Can you get some of his blood?" she was verging on excited.

He found it quite disconcerting, if he was honest, where was she going? "A location spell?" he queried.

"Yes," she breathed the answer out, as though afraid of it.

He briefly looked her up and down, reflecting that the bohemian look she was going for was coming off more like bag lady. It was possible he'd spent a little too much time in Caroline's company, he mused, now clearly not the best time to be considering fashion choices...or lack thereof. The considered the suggestion, her last opportunity to redeem herself in his eyes, last chance to prove she was worthy of living – he couldn't help but think that it would fell short, location spell were amateur hour and just how would locating Bennett's spirit help matters? He needed to talk to the witch and encourage her in the most forceful of manners to start making every effort to turn his dreams into reality.

Still, perhaps the location spell would connect the two witches however briefly, and allow the Bennett witch to witness the last moments of Sophie's disappointing existence. He moved towards a cupboard on the far side of the room, removed a vile and handed it to her with a wink. Rather than showing the appreciation he felt he was deserved, she gulped nervously. He reflected that might have been due to his threatening to decapitate her some time earlier in the evening, or sensing that he was planning on killing her in the immediate future, or perhaps she simply didn't like him. In any case, it didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things so he let it go. Not too long after Sophie once again failed to deliver the goods, a grin stretched itself across his face.

"Perhaps I need a new witch," he pondered aloud and watched her pale considerably.

"Wait, there's one last thing," she begged.

He almost couldn't be bothered allowing her yet another reprieve, but then he thought why the hell not? What did another few minutes matter? It wasn't like he had anything else to do at that precise moment, not feeling over inclined to go wandering through the underground caves or the through the never ending woodlands to locate the band of misfits until morning at least. Besides, he wasn't hungry in the slightest more people made deposits for his personal blood bank than they did for any other in the state. He was positively sloshing around.

"It worked!" she screeched, relief all over her face.

He hadn't bothered to pay attention, lost in his imaginings of how best to kill her, "what worked exactly?"

"The spell, the location spell; it worked," she told him happily.

Just because he was a mind reader didn't mean he always knew what people were thinking, plus how helpful was it really to know the location of an ethereal being whose location would change with a mere thought. "So?"

"Oh," her words huffing out, "well she's near New Orleans, just outside in fact."

"Well, that's good to know. Useless as it is," he stepped towards her slowly, a devilish smile claiming his features having just decided that a slow death would work for him.

She looked confused for a moment, then her eyes widened briefly and of all things laughter spilled out of her throat. He'd had enough of her at that point, he'd had enough of her a long time before; so he was on her a moment later holding her in the air by her throat abandoning his plans to take it slow, contemplating whether to drain her or remove her head.

Her laughter turned to choking and he immediately knew he preferred her this way. "Pleeease…you don't…undersst…" she managed to get out her hands desperately trying to loosen his hold.

A deep sigh exited his mouth, and though sure he would regret it, he allowed her just enough slack in order to continue speaking.

"She's alive, that's why it didn't work, we were trying to contact the dead and she's alive," the words flooded out of her.

He dropped her like a sack of potatoes. "Bonnie Bennett is alive?" it took everything in him not to laugh manically and steeple his fingers like a movie villain.

Sophie nodded holding her throat with her hands. "Yes, the map," she pointed.

He felt like all his Christmases had come at once, and when you considered he'd spent two thousand years in a tomb that was one hell of feeling.

* * *

One moment he had had Caroline safe in his arms, leaning against him as though it was the most natural thing in the world, holding on to him as though he was her world, as though he already occupied that pride of place in her heart and thoughts he could only dream of. Never in his long life had he been so at peace, never had he been so happy, and then with another's utterance of her name, it had ended. Bonnie Bennett leaped back into existence, taking his place in Caroline's arms.

He couldn't help but direct an angry glare in what he took to be the black-eyed bitch's direction, no doubt in his mind that the inconvenient timing of the witch's resurrection was deliberate and likely to her great amusement. If he were capable he would have taken great pleasure in ending her existence in that moment, sending the woman to her oblivion – there was no Afterlife for its guardians.

After a few minutes seething in his jealousy and anger watching the two woman clinging to each other as though their lives depended on it, Caroline turned back to him her eyes shining with tears but practically radiating joy and he felt his lips turn up into a smile, as quick as page turn his mood was again light. Not for the first time he despaired of the power she held over him, no one had ever been able to dissipate his anger with a smile, he imagined that she could manage it with much less.

"We should get going," he told them both and stepped in the direction of the car. He held his breath when Caroline took his hand in hers, expelling it when her other hand latched on to the witch's.

"I missed you so much," she breathed out, wide smile still clear across her profile.

Klaus wanted the words to be directed at him, but suspected they were directed at the witch. Still, a warm feeling spread throughout his body and had anyone been looking they would have noted that for the briefest of moments his smile stretched almost as wide as hers. Then of course he reasserted control of his features, beating back the smile and assuming his more comfortable smirk. He could not be as unguarded in front of Bonnie as he was with Caroline; he had an audience now and would act accordingly, yet he did not go so far as to retrieve his hand. He could not bring himself to end contact that she gave so freely, she who rarely touched him previously.

Everything had gone downhill when they reached the car, Caroline had opted to ride in the back seat with her resurrected friend - neither surprising nor greatly concerning for him- then commenced telling them both what had happened since her abrupt departure from Mystic Falls. Klaus got the distinct impression that she wasn't telling them everything, but what she did share got his blood boiling, especially when she narrated her encounter with Hayley. He promised himself that the werewolf's end would become a thing of legend. Shortly after Caroline had finished her tale of woe, the witch had expressed the desire to be taken to the nearest airport, because apparently one death wasn't enough for the woman, she was hell bent on returning to Mystic Falls to meet her second.

Again, neither surprising nor greatly concerning for him, except that Caroline wouldn't hear of the witch returning by herself and insisted that she needed to go along, which was completely out of the question.

"Klaus, she needs to go back and she can't go alone," Caroline pleaded yet again.

His eyes found hers in the rear view mirror, "I said no, love."

Caroline huffed and turned her head to look out the window, mumbling something so lowly even he couldn't catch it, not that he thought he'd actually like to hear whatever vile names he was sure she was calling him. Bonnie moved forward between the seats to get his attention.

"_I_ have to go," she said, her eyes boring into his.

Clearly whatever Silas was up to in Mystic Falls was deeply unpleasant and the witch was obviously all too aware of it. Klaus wondered briefly why she didn't just come out and say it, didn't tell Caroline why it was that she had to return, but when Bonnie's eyes shifted to Caroline with an uneasy expression he understood, the witch didn't want her to go either. He nodded his understanding and with a fleeting smile Bonnie moved back to her seat. "I'll have someone take _you_," he advised.

Caroline's head snapped back. "You mean take _us_?" she demanded.

"No sweetheart, I mean take her, you are coming with me," he told her in no uncertain terms.

"You can't tell me what to do," she sneered with her arms crossed, the image of a child determined to get her way.

He pulled the car over and turned the moment it stopped piercing her with a dark glare, "I was told to protect you and I will. You are coming with me Caroline, end of discussion."

Her teeth were worrying over her bottom lip, she silently held his gaze, he could see the wheels turning as she tried to think of some way to sway him. He was confident she would not be successful, but like so many times in the past she surprised him.

"Katherine is human," seemingly involuntarily her hand moved towards her mouth as though it wished to retrieve the words.

Klaus didn't visibly react to the words, he schooled his features in an uncaring mask of indifference, but he was anything but. With the witches no longer under Marcel's yoke it was a foregone conclusion that the repressed would rebel; they would try to wrestle control from the vampires, who wouldn't be inclined to denounce their thrones, it was going to escalate – quickly - there was going to be a war. A human Katherine meant he could make a new Hybrid army, an army which he needed more now than ever before, an army that could help him reclaim his kingdom. She was clever his girl.

"Caroline you can't come," Bonnie's panicked voice interrupted their staring contest.

He watched as a surprised expression spread across her pretty face and she turned to her friend, "what?"

"You need to do what Connie told you, she sounds dangerous," the witch was grasping.

Caroline seemed to realize it, "why don't you want me to go? Is something happening?"

Bonnie hesitated before shaking her head, "no, nothing's happening. Connie said you were a target though, so you shouldn't go home, that's the first place people will look."

Klaus watched as Caroline's eyes narrowed, "you're lying to me." She turned to Klaus, "why is she lying to me?"

He didn't respond, his expression stony. The silence stretched out, no one seemed willing to break it. Klaus watched as her eyes moved rapidly between the two of them, and then suddenly she was staring past him.

"It's obvious," she said it quietly, so quietly he doubted the witch had heard.

Her eyes snapped between the two of them, "Silas, this is about Silas."

A few horrid moments of silence more and then she nodded her head as though answering a question she didn't speak out loud and then he watched the tears forming as realization hit her. "Oh my god, Stefan," her mouth hung open. She shook her head and then she turned to Bonnie her voice pleading now. "Tell me he's okay."

Bonnie sighed, "I don't know, we didn't even realize my dying had released him until he came back from looking for you."

Klaus had a sudden desire to drain the witch dry, he swore he could hear the orchestra warming up to play the death march in honor of the end of Caroline's small regard for him.

"He came looking for me?" she seemed half way between horrified and pleased.

Probably because he was now desperate for the witch to shut up, she continued talking, "yes, Damon thought he went to New Orleans to see Klaus."

Caroline's eyes were back on him, accusing, "where is Stefan?"

There could be no doubt she had connected the dots, he sighed, "I suspect Stefan is at the bottom of the falls."

"You _suspect_?" she huffed angrily clearly on the verge of exploding at him.

There was only one way to salvage the situation now. A topic change was in order, "where is Katherine?"

"She's with the others, deep in the woods in one of the old hunting cabins," Bonnie answered.

He turned around, started the car and got them back on the road, all too aware of her burning gaze drilling into the back of his head. "Well then, I suppose we shall have to go get her." He spoke softly.

"No," Bonnie yelped out. "I have to go back, but you can't take Caroline."

It took no more than a second for Caroline to move herself from the back to the passenger seat; his eyes once again meet hers.

"And Stefan," she said, pointedly ignoring Bonnie.

"And Stefan," he confirmed and was rewarded with a smile. Crisis averted, he turned his attention back to the road.

"Klaus!" Bonnie screeched from the back.

"She goes where I go," he told her, voice stern.


	16. Chapter 16

Elena wasn't happy, in fact she was downright miserable, it wasn't just losing her two best friends and discovering that Silas had replaced Stefan for the last few months either, she was miserable because the original doppelgänger bitch was making her miserable. At every turn Katherine was there with a snide remark, a gloating look - she was a constant annoyance impossible to escape, trapped as they were.

Damon was having homicidal urges; he wanted to end Katherine so much he had started dreaming about it, his hands around her neck closing off her airways, his fingers bursting through her chest wrapping around her heart…well you get the idea. Everything in his being wanted to destroy her, but she was their bargaining chip, their one and only "get out of jail free" card with the Originals and considering that they had been run out of their own town and were now hiding out in the wilderness sans Blondie and Witchy, they had to keep her among the living. So there could be no ripping out the traitorous bitch's throat, no matter how insufferable she got, and boy was she insufferable. No surprise there, Katherine was only too aware of her further elevated status post Blondie, so she made their lives unpleasant in the extreme.

He had tried to compel her into submission, but somehow she had gotten hold of vervain and as much as he would have loved to restrain her until it was out of her system she'd proven exceedingly good at slinking out of ropes and gone so far as to cut her own wrists in what she called "protest at their inhumane treatment". It was annoying to no end that the woman was still able to hold them to ransom weakened though she was. It was no wonder she had managed to outrun Klaus for 500 years, the woman was an evil genius and Damon despised her. Not nearly half as much as Elena did though, anger was leaching out of her in streams each and every moment they were forced to keep company which, it had been quickly established, could not ever be in a one on one capacity as Elena's control was questionable to say the least.

"You really are the poorest excuse for a vampire I have ever seen," Katherine was at it again, and Damon tightened his grip around Elena's waist as she tensed as though about to pounce. "Why is it that the dull endure? This place would be a more bearable prison if say Caroline was here in your stead, where is she again?" she smirked, and Damon was forced to drag a hissing Elena outside. "Tootles," her gloating voice drifted into their departing ears.

"I'm going to kill her, I don't care anymore," Elena snarled trying to get free of his death grip.

"Ordinarily I'd be all in favour, butin case you forgot if we don't want to spend eternity out here in the back of beyond we need the bitch. Just imagine the satisfaction of handing her over to the Original freak, so she can spend the rest of her miserable life as his personal blood bag," he smiled running a finger across her check as she relaxed against him.

"What if he doesn't come?"

"Please! So not gonna happen," he held her in a comforting embrace. Truth was, he had his doubts that the Big Bad was coming to the rescue, when they had spoken to Elijah he had gotten the distinct impression that the man didn't believe his brother would be interested, the only assurance he had given was that he would pass their message on. He didn't know what was going on in New Orleans, but he didn't see why it was more important than stopping the most deadly vampire on the planet and not just because said vampire appeared intent upon hunting them down. It was only a matter of time before he found them, and then what? They were no match for him; their only witch was not only dead, but now incommunicado. If there was a confrontation they wouldn't survive it, not unless Silas wanted them to.

Damon had never felt more powerless, this was a threat he wasn't equipped to fight, and though Klaus had not proved overly adept at that either he had access to resources they could only dream about. What they needed was a miracle, but he'd settle for a little Original help and he'd even take it without a single snide remark. Lately, there wasn't a lot to be snide about.

He was loathe to admit it but he missed Elena's best friends, he hadn't exactly been overly concerned about their presence in the past, rarely sparing them a thought unless their assistance was required or they happened to be right in front of him – it was always Elena, after all. But knowing that he would never see them again, unless he made an unscheduled stop to the Other Side, had made him realise that they had each craved themselves out a place in his world which now lay empty. Damon hadn't always liked them, he'd been rather keen on killing both of them at various times during their acquaintance, yet they were … whatever they were, it didn't matter any longer. Mourning the dead was a waste of energy.

Elena was still among the living dead and his brother needed saving, _again_. He wasn't going to be up for brother of the year, that's for sure. Hindsight was a bitch, looking back over their interactions the last few months it was obvious the pod people had taken over his brother, yet at the time he'd attributed the glaring differences to sore feelings over losing the love of his life. Maybe he saw what he wanted to see, maybe he was too consumed with Elena, or maybe Silas had gotten into his head. Regardless, his brother had been missing for months and he hadn't noticed – guilt wasn't a strong enough word for how he was feeling about that.

"Feel like hunting some cute little bunnies?" he asked her.

Her nose crinkled in the cutest way and he indulged his urge to lightly kiss the tip of it, his smile became that little bit more genuine. Stefan's bunny diet wasn't agreeable, to either of them, but they were out of blood bags, out of choices and running dangerously close to being out of luck.

"Do I have a choice?" she sounded sour, Katherine-like.

"Bambi?" her expression didn't change, "Slim pickings gorgeous."

"Let's just go," she moved towards the surrounding woods, he was about to follow when he heard it. Damon flashed to her side and pulled her back towards the hut his hand covering her mouth. Someone was coming, by the sound of it a large group of "someones" who weren't being quiet about it. A twig snapped and he turned and in the same movement drew the gun and fired, he knew vervain soaked wooden bullets wouldn't stop Silas, but for all their sakes he hoped they would slow him down. In the latest of his forms Silas' big blue eyes widened in shock.

* * *

Things had not gone according to plan, which was surprising because there really hadn't been much in the way of a plan to go wrong. Go back to Mystic Falls, rescue Stefan, collect her mother and friends, avoid Silas and get the hell out of dodge before the flood gates of hell opened up and swallowed them all. Simple really, yet it had all gone wrong.

Bonnie hadn't wanted her to go. From the moment Klaus had agreed to go back and she had jumped into the seat beside him Bonnie's mood had nose-dived, in fact her eyes seemed determined to retain their glaring aspect, Caroline could feel them boring into the back of her head. It hadn't fazed her in the slightest, the last time Bonnie had gone off on her own she'd gotten herself killed, no way was Caroline going to allow an encore. The witch couldn't be trusted to act in her own best interests, so she'd endure the heat of disapproval, she'd endure a lot of things, and she would make damn sure that Bonnie Bennett witch extraordinaire left Mystic Falls alive and well. The town wouldn't claim her life a second time, it wasn't going to happen.

And if the biggest moron on the planet tried to drag them into another idiotic plan in which all and sundry had to be sacrificed so that Elena slept better at night, she'd be snapping his neck in record time and they'd be back in New Orleans before he hit the ground, even with the extra time it would take to gag and bind Bonnie who really was far too inclined to fall for that crap. Still considering how everything had ended up in the crapper she wondered if her witch Bestie had worked some magic in attempt to get her way that yet again had resulted in unexpected consequences.

The road trip, excepting the evil eye and chilly atmosphere, hadn't been go bad, and when Klaus pointing out that there was a private air strip not too far off which would offer a more discreet, and frankly easier option to return to Mystic Falls than trying to get a dead girl through security at a major airport it seemed like everything would go well. Even the welcoming committee had been a blessing in disguise.

"Caroline Forbes," her tall muscular savour from the swamp had greeted her when they rolled up to the tarmac.

"Hello again," she responded while trying to remove Klaus' death grip on her arm as he pushed her behind him with a low but audible growl.

"You know him," Klaus asked, not taking his eyes off the man.

"Sort of, he was part of the team that rescued me from the witches," she still couldn't get her arm free. "Seriously Klaus get off," she huffed.

Klaus turned his head till their eyes meet, "you'll stay behind me." With that order he granted her the use of her arm.

"What do you want?" he asked tall and muscular.

"She told us to keep an eye on Miss Forbes."

"Us?" Caroline interjected. She hadn't sensed anyone else.

"David and Adam are in the plane, I'm Gabriel," and with that he turned walking towards a jet on the tarmac, engines clearing running.

Without a word Bonnie had marched off after him.

"Come on Klaus," she pulled at his arm.

"Sweetheart, are you sure you want to go back?" he asked turning to face her switching from psycho Hybrid Original to Mr Perfect in a breath. His fingers trailed along her jaw and she almost gave into the desire to lean in to them before she remembered that Tyler was waiting for her and he was having a baby with the were-slut, correction, considering the period of her captivity the cow should have made him a daddy by now – there was something equal parts disturbing and hilarious with the image of Daddy Klaus. She turned her head away from his fingers and moved to step around him. "Caroline," he breathed out her name, caressed every syllable.

"I'm going with Bonnie," she told him icily. His eyes widened briefly, a flash of hurt, and then the cold mask he wore like Elijah did suits was back in place. Caroline flashed into the jet and sat herself down next to Bonnie despite the never-ending glare of disapproval, she briefly wondered if Damon's nickname for the witch was well earned.

Gabriel, sitting across from her, had smiled holding out his hand, "pleasure to formally meet you Miss Forbes." She had taken the offered hand and a strange feeling had come over her, she smelt sage, peppermint and … dirty feet?

"Valerian," another man spoke from behind her, she turned giving him a questioning look. "It's a herb, smells like feet. I'm David, by the way."

Caroline felt a shiver travel up her spine as their eyes meet; David eyes were a dark brown, his smile warm and friendly, but there was something off about him and not just because he appeared to have Silas like mind-reading powers.

He continued on as though he hadn't noticed she was staring at him as though he had two heads, "Gabe's a witch; the herb's associated with witchcraft."

She made no reply, just continued to stare at him, unconsciously running her hand up and down her arm whilst biting her lower lip. Images flashed before her eyes, strange visions of people and places she did not know, they consumed her. She hadn't noticed that the jet had lifted off, hadn't felt Bonnie pulling at her arm, nor even when two strong arms had lifted her from her seat and deposited her in another. But when the brown eyes were replaced with blue-green his stern voice broke through the haze, "Caroline." He commanded her back to herself.

"It's most likely a by-product of her blood," Gabe's voice intruded.

"Will it pass?" Bonnie's voice had enquired.

No one had answered. From there things had gone from bad to worse, everyone had seemed on edge, well everyone except Klaus who had gone into evil Hybrid mode. Prior to allowing her to enter the woods Klaus had given her strict instructions, she wasn't to go off by herself, she was to remain within ten feet of him at all times, she was to stay at the back of their party, she wasn't to make a sound, she wasn't to so much as breathe without his explicit permission as though she was some defenceless child devoid of common sense. Bonnie had withdrawn the evil eye and given her a sympathetic smile which turned into a grimace as Klaus had advised the rules applied to her as well.

They had entered the woods as a group, Klaus leading, David and Adam on the flanks, Bonnie and herself in the middle, and Gabe bringing up the rear. Despite her orders she'd made no special effort to move quietly, her petulance was shared by Bonnie who seemed intent on making as much noise as possible until Klaus had turned and threatened to take them back to the car - her with a snapped neck and Bonnie hog tied – at which point they reluctantly obliged him. They had moved through the woods at human pace until Klaus suddenly stopped, cocking his head as though he heard something, he turned looking behind them and a hint of worry flashed through his eyes. He grabbed Bonnie by the arm and pushed Caroline forward with a whispered "Run."

She waited only long enough to see Adam grab a hold of Gabe and flash away before she was running as fast as she was able. Before too long she crashed through the trees and found herself in a clearing, in the second it took her to recognise the people before her she came to an abrupt stop, she opened her mouth in shock for a moment lost for words and in that moment Damon turned and she found herself looking down the barrel of a gun, she had watched in stunned silence as he depressed the trigger not once, but multiple times.

Caroline had only enough time to hope he'd miss anything vital before her vision was blocked by a black clad back. When it moved Damon was being thrown across the clearing by an enraged Klaus and Elena was crying hysterically. She stepped forward only to have an arm impede her progress, David and Adam stood at her sides both holding swords reminiscent of the ones Connie and she had sparred with. She sensed that Bonnie and Gabe were behind her, clearly guarding her back. Her eyes roamed over the sword wielding backs and then the ground beneath David's feet, there was no blood and she wondered if he wore some kind of vest or if he had stopped the bullets some other way.

Her attention was drawn from her idle thoughts to the unwelcome sight of Klaus' hand digging into Damon's chest with clear intent.

"Klaus no!" she yelled and, as though they had all been doused in ice cold water, everyone froze - all eyes turning towards her. "Let him go," she instructed in a firm voice.

For a moment he looked mutinous, but then he complied and dropped Damon to the ground. Elena rushed to his side and helped him to his feet, before her dole-like eyes refocused, fleeting between her two best friends in obvious confusion. Before the brunette could say a word, Klaus spoke again, "we need to move, someone is following us."

Jeremy and Matt picked this moment to exit the hut with a horrified looking Katherine in their wake. Klaus managed a decidedly evil looking smirk in the original doppelganger direction before flashing to her side and grabbing hold of her arm. "Miss me?" he purred and she visibly shuddered in response. Caroline felt sorry for her, but then she remembered that time she was suffocated with a pillow and thought better of it.

"How are you…" Elena's wavering voice filled the clearing as she stepped towards them.

"Another time," Klaus cut her off. "Caroline, take Bonnie and go." His tone told her she shouldn't waste time so she grabbed Bonnie and flashed away only stopping when they reached a road. David and Gabe stopped beside them, followed shortly by Adam with Matt, Damon with Jeremy, Klaus with Katherine and finally Elena all on her lonesome. Caroline decided she had to remember to ask David and Adam exactly what they were and then it occurred to her that their group was not complete.

"Where's my mother? Where's Tyler?"


	17. Chapter 17

**It seems like I'm apologizing for the delay on every chapter later, but sorry anyhow.**

Silas had never doubted that she would return, not since he had learned of her miraculous return to the land of the living, but knowing that she would didn't make the wait a more tolerable experience. He'd thought desiccating for two thousand years was boring, waiting for the teenager to return was insufferably so, of course he only had himself to blame for that what with turning the whole town into his mindless minions keeping only Sophie the wet rag for company. He missed his little blonde ray of sunshine, he was almost tempted to make the Hybrid bring her back to him, he was sorely tempted.

His phone, well Stefan's if one was being tedious, had rung just as he was contemplating eating a local. He offered no greeting, waited silently for the person to speak and they had not disappointed, reporting that his long wait was over - the witch had landed though not alone. Whilst one of his new slaves had delivered the good news, their companion had e-mailed photos which yet another had quickly printed and handed to him all before the first the conversation had ended. The first photo was a close up of Bonnie Bennett's face, the resolution wasn't fantastic yet he imagined she was staring back at him, goading. He felt energized, purpose spreading through his veins, he was so close. He tossed the photo's aside and would have left them were they fell had he not glimpsed familiar waves of blonde hair. The remaining photos contained the rest of the group and Caroline was among them, he was at first elevated that she had returned, but it faded quickly into annoyance. She wasn't supposed to come back; the Hybrid wasn't doing a good job of protecting her. Still, they had brought the witch with them and one shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Sophie, we have somewhere to be," he called out, sniggering to himself as he heard her quietly grumble laboring under the misconception he couldn't hear her. In short order she dragged herself to the door and they made the trip to the car together. Having directed her to the driver's side he climbed into the passenger seat, readying himself for the maddeningly long drive, he never would understand why any of his kind bothered with any other form of transport than their feet, but allowances had to be made for those unfortunates not blessed with natural speed such as his current companion.

"Head out of town, we are going for a stroll in the woods," he advised. Sophie was quick to comply, the quality time they had spent together had encouraged her to be prompt to follow his direction.

In twice the time it would have taken him to run there, they arrived at their destination, he was out of the car before it had stopped moving. He grabbed Sophie from the driver's seat the moment she had cut the ignition.

"Time to hunt, remember why I allow you remain among the living," he advised her before flashing them both into the woods in the direction his minions' thoughts indicated. He suppressed a smile recalling Caroline advising him in all seriousness that all good villains had to have minions. Silas' spirits soared as he raced through the woods, dragging Sophie with him, he could acknowledge – at least in his head – that it wasn't just because he was a step closer to winning his two thousand year old war; it was the thought of seeing her again.

And then, quicker than he would have expected, there was a flash of blonde ahead of them. His lips lifted in an involuntary smile before he stopped, a finger going to his lips to indicate that Sophie should remain silent and unmoving, he left her and raced after the flash of blonde a giddy feeling spreading through his body. It was strange that she should have such an affect upon him, she was not his forever girl after all was said and done, yet she had carved out a place for herself in his heart and he was happy to see her again despite the circumstances of their meeting. The knowledge that she would find no joy in his company could not damper his mood, not in this moment.

He reached out with his mind, pressing himself towards her sunshine, at the moment of contact he felt himself deflate, his mood turning dark. Without thinking he moved, stopped the blonde's progress like a concert wall would a car, sudden and deadly. His hand pinched into her neck as he slammed her against a tree, her blue eyes were wide and searching. Similar to those he had hoped to meet, yet so very different, and oh so very disappointing.

"Well hello again, where's your brother hiding?" he lessened the pressure on her neck just enough for her to answer, but before she could another butted in.

"I'm right here," the calm cool voice replied.

Silas turned his attention to the man now standing behind him, "let's not pretend you don't know to whom I was referring Elijah."

"Let her go," the elder Original continued in his deceptively calm voice.

"Let's also not pretend you don't know who holds the power here. Where is Klaus?" he didn't like repeating himself, but neither Original was careless with their thoughts. There was only so long someone, even an Original could deny him, but they were trying and for at time succeeding.

In the distance he heard Sophie approaching, he'd have been frustrated at her inability to do as instructed if not for the fact that her noisy progress through the woods also managed to distract both Originals, a momentary lapse in concentration and he had his answer. He was not pleased; only too aware that his prey had likely used the time he'd been delayed by the two Originals to get far enough away to escape him. He threw Rebekah head first into another tree five feet away; the resounding sound of her neck snapping doing nothing to stem his growing rage, driving a tree branch into Elijah's chest didn't do too much for him either. Had he two white oak stakes, he'd have slammed one into each of their hearts, and still it wouldn't have been enough.

As the two Originals skin graying in death too temporary to satisfy his boiling fury, Sophie broke through the trees and stepped towards him.

Silas found some respite in draining her dry; in the moment before her heart stopped beating he thought he heard a scream in the distance.

* * *

One moment she had been in having a somewhat embarrassing temper tantrum on the road side and the next she had found herself once again on the replica couch in the copy of her mother's living room. Caroline didn't understand how she had gotten there; she had been in the woods with her friends, they had found them, but her mother wasn't with them. Tyler wasn't with them.

They were supposed to be with them, weren't they? Her thoughts were muddled, slow, she had difficulty recalling what had happened, she cast her mind back trying to piece together the chain of events. They were in the woods, her mother and Tyler were missing, and then…

_"Where's my mother, where's Tyler?" she had asked, her voice rising in alarm. Silence greeted her question, eyes shifted avoiding meeting hers and she felt as though the sky was falling. Breaths she didn't require became harsh, labored, she felt faint. _

_Damon broke the silence, "Tyler is fine Caroline; he left." _

_The words should have been comforting, but they had no effect upon her – it still felt as though she was plummeting, fate taking yet another bite out of her ass. Elena's eyes meet hers at that moment, brown eyes filled with sympathy and sadness. If Tyler was fine, then…what had happened to her mother? An all-consuming panic took over, tears flowed freely down her cheeks, she tried to regain control, she really did, but she couldn't. Her legs failed her and she was falling, strong arms caught her and she clung to them as the shipwrecked would a life boat. _

_"My mother," she moaned out, more a plea than a question._

_"We don't think she's dead," Damon offered up with his usual tact. _

_"Caroline, we need to go," Klaus told her, his voice calm._

_She turned towards his voice, only then discovering that it was his arms that held her. _

_"No, I cannot leave," her voice was too high, too panicked. "I have to get her back, I can't leave her," her volume progressively increased, she tried to rise pushing him from her but he didn't release her. _

_"Let me go!" she screamed at him. She had to go, why couldn't he understand that? _

_His jaw had clinched, she could hear his teeth grinding together, he had looked past her as though seeing something in the distance, she had turned to follow his gaze._

She could recall nothing else; the obvious conclusion was that at that point someone – Klaus - had snapped her neck. Still that didn't explain why she was back in Connie's domain or how she had gotten there.

"You're dead," Connie's voice interrupted her addled thinking.

"Uh...what?" she forced herself to focus on the black eyed woman who had appeared before her.

"You are no doubt wondering how you got here, you are here because you were killed, hence you being dead."

"No, I'm not," the inner five-year-old brat dictated her tone of voice.

"Temporarily of course," Connie gave her another of those small smiles. "We are connected you and I, so when Klaus snapped your neck instead of being trapped within your dead body as those of your kind are want to do, you sought greener pastures or rather something of a more stimulating variety than hanging around in limbo."

"Sometimes when you talk I feel like my head is about to explode," sadly this was one of those times, understanding was coming slowly, her brain wasn't working as it should be. She guessed being dead had its drawbacks.

"You were not supposed to go to Mystic Falls Caroline," the smile disappeared.

"Bonnie needed to go and I couldn't let her go by herself. Besides my mother is...what happened to my mother?" she felt the panic rising to the forefront again.

"She isn't dead, and it is unlikely your friend Silas will make her so," Connie said with conviction.

"He isn't my friend, he was pretending to be Stefan," Caroline turned away from the searching black eyes.

Truth was she wasn't really sure about Silas, he seemed like the most evil creature on the planet, but so had Klaus at first. And though she wasn't exactly feeling overly generous towards the Hybrid at the present time – snapping unsuspecting necks was just plain rude - she was friends with him now, so maybe being friends with Silas wasn't outside the realm of possibilities. Then again, he didn't have a sexy accent and puppy dog eyes.

"I know what you are thinking, this conversation is happening in your head after all."

"Nobody likes a know it all," she stopped herself from sticking out her tongue, just.

"You don't need to like me," Connie advised in a bored tone.

"Just as well," she was aware she was being childish, she just didn't care.

"Delightful," Connie smirked. "Now, as our time is limited I suggest we put it to better use. I take it that you are reluctant to leave Miss Bennett in Mystic Falls?"

Caroline nodded her head in agreement.

"Well then, we have a problem Caroline, you don't want to leave Miss Bennett and as it stands she will not be allowed to leave Mystic Falls which is not where I need you to be."

Caroline opened her mouth to speak, but Connie raised a hand indicating she should remain silent. "Your presence is required in New Orleans; therefore I will assist you with your witch problem."

"How?" she felt a smile creep onto her face.

"Silas wants the Bennett witch to destroy the Other Side and assist him in recreating the cure," Connie paused as though expecting an interruption. When none was forthcoming, "he hopes to then take the cure and join his love in the Afterlife."

Caroline didn't really see the point in wasting time stating the obvious; her brain was running slow, but not that slow. Still she managed to let it go.

"This will not happen," Connie spoke as though it was already decided.

"Riiiight," she raised her brows waiting for Connie to continue. "And…?"

"You are laboring under a misconception. Tell me Caroline, what do you know of the origin of witch craft?"

"A mind reader would know already," she smirked.

Connie's black eyes locked on hers, clearly unimpressed.

"Fine," she huffed. "I can't say I've studied the history of the witchy race, I've spent the majority of my vampire existence fighting the badie of the week and trying desperately not to become a red shirt."

"Prior to Qetsiyah's spell expression was wide spread, it was in fact the only way to practice if a witch wished to do anything of real consequence. Following it magic changed and witches began to harness the energy of the spirits of those that went before them – expression was consigned to the fringes, considered dark and objectionable. Hardly surprising when you consider what judgmental holier- than-thou creatures witches are," she paused again, a wry smile crossing her face. "I digress. The point is Qetsiyah's spell created the current order, or the balance as they've taken to calling it; it trapped her kind on the Other Side. "

"So then, you're saying she didn't create the Other Side?"

"Indeed," with an approving nod.

"If that's the case, why doesn't Silas just reverse her spell? Why destroy the Other Side?" Connie didn't answer, so she continued, "Because he's afraid that even if he reverses her spell and cures himself he will still end up there…will he?"

"He cannot control what he didn't create," was the helpful reply.

"Is that a yes or what?" Caroline's patience was at an all-time low, it didn't help that her brain was still somewhat foggy.

"The Afterlife is barred to him."

She felt as though she had been given an electric shock. "Regardless of if the Other Side exists or not?" she knew the answer already, but felt compelled to ask.

"Naturally," Connie nodded once confirming her words in motion.

"But then…what will happen if the Other Side is destroyed and he dies?" she had a horrible feeling she knew the answer to this as well.

"He will cease to exist."

"And what happens to everyone else?" Caroline knew her voice was getting dangerously high.

"They will share his fate," Connie coolly intoned.

"But Jenna didn't go there," she felt like she was hanging from a cliff by her fingernails.

"There are exceptions to any rule, but they are few and far between."

And it was unlikely that any of her friends would be in that category, they weren't likely to be up for sainthood. Jenna had died essentially innocent; none of them could claim the same. Silas would destroy them all. "Ho..How do we stop it?"

"You could kill Miss Bennett," Caroline glared at her in response. "Or you can present to Silas an offer."

She couldn't help but feel as though she walked straight into a trap, "what offer?"

"He can choose the manner in which his war with Qetsiyah ends. He can continue living, or he can die."

"But if he dies he'll go to the Other Side," she wondered how Connie thought that was an offer.

"No, if he chooses to die, he will cease to exist," Connie turned from her as though something else had garnered her attention. "Our time is coming to an end; you will present the offer and then you will go to New Orleans, with or without Miss Bennett."

"I'm not leaving her," she told her with an accompanying sneer.

"That which is given can be taken away," was Connie's cold answer.

Caroline figured they'd get to the threatening part sooner or later, she just hadn't realised how effective it would be. Before Connie faded she found herself nodding in defeat, and then she was opening her eyes finding herself still within those strong arms, but no longer in the woods.

"You snapped my neck," she glared at him, pushing herself from his embrace.

"You were making a scene," he told her softly.

"My mother is missing; what did you expect?" she moved as far from him as the vehicle they were travelling in allowed. He sighed heavily, but made no reply. "Where are we?"

"Near the falls, Damon and company are creating a diversion in town, we are going fishing," he smirked.

Caroline found herself wondering if his child would smirk, or if it had dimples, but she didn't ask him. Instead she turned her head to look out the window; she found the landscape bleak and depressing. Her thoughts still consumed with images of Klaus' offspring, curly blonde hair and blue eyes in a cherub face with dimples – that was something she would never be a part of, could never be a part of. She didn't know why it consumed her so, she had never believed there was a future for Klaus and her, had never hoped as he did that they would spend an eternity together. She recalled how enraged she had felt when Hayley had told her, she had understood it, she still didn't. There was absolutely no reason why she should care that Hayley and Klaus had sex let alone a child as a result of it. She shouldn't care, but couldn't convince herself not to, couldn't stop the cherub baby images from floating through her head. More worrying she couldn't help but regret losing that chance at an eternity with a man she had never thought she wanted.

She rested her forehead against the cool window of the vehicle.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Klaus' soft voice drifted from the other side of the back seat.

"I miss Stefan," she said, unable to find the courage to tell him the truth. It wasn't as though there weren't more pressing concerns, it could wait. She still had to tell him what Connie had said after all, but first she would get her best friend back.


	18. Chapter 18

**This is kind of a filler chapter**

He'd done a lot of stupid things in his time, an awful lot, but he couldn't help thinking his current action would be going straight to the top of the list. The streets were eerily quiet, it was like walking through a ghost town and it was the middle of the day.

"Come out come out wherever you are!" he yelled out in what he considered was bordering suicidal behaviour. He had no doubt Alaric would have hit him upside the head were it within his ghostly abilities; beside him Elena was grimacing her fingernails digging into his arm.

"They just don't make pod people like they used to," he continued in a loud voice.

"Must you always be such a jerk?" Bonnie questioned with her usual accompanying glare.

"Hard to believe I missed you Judgy," he smirked widely.

"Damon," Elena admonished.

He sighed, "Can't be a distraction without anyone to distract."

Plus, spooky town wasn't doing anything for him, he felt like they were wandering around post apocalypse – missing the zombies.

"Any moment now people!" Just how much more obvious could he be?

Elena's nails dug in deeper which he hadn't really thought possible, "Oh my god, look." She pointed to the other side of the square where a solitary figure stood.

"Dad?" Bonnie's voice seemed too loud to his ears, which was strange because her voice was barely above a whisper. He had a bad feeling about this.

She moved forward one step, then another, and yet another in quick succession - just when Damon thought she was on the verge of breaking into a run David had wrapped his arm around her waist holding her back. "Let her go, that's Poppa witchy."

David shook his head and dragged Bonnie backwards, "Unless he's white that isn't her dad."

"Silas," Elena choked out the name.

Damon pushed her behind him and started towards the lone man, as he did so the facade melted away Bonnie's father twisting into that of his brother. He wondered what kind of freak David was that he could see what they did not, but figuring that they would have time for that later he pushed it aside.

"Damon, what are you doing?" Elena's voice was panicked, even as her talons removed themselves from his arm.

"What we're here for beautiful," he smiled over his shoulder at her then continued forward hoping he looked one hell of a lot more confident than he felt.

"Hey buddy, nice day for a stroll," he called out to Silas.

"Glorious," Silas replied smile spread widely across Stefan's face. "Welcome back Miss Bennett, you have been sorely missed."

And the reason Klaus insisted that he and Caroline rescue Stefan from the falls sans Witchy was suddenly clear to him. The big bad Hybrid was clearly only too aware that Silas would go wherever Bonnie did, as though Damon needed another reason to curse the man's existence.

Silas' smile turned into a smirk, clearly only too aware of what Damon was thinking. "I require Miss Bennett's services, the rest of you are free to go."

"I thought you had a witch," Elena interjected.

"I got hungry," Silas responded smirk unmoved. "Now, Miss Bennett; shall we?" he held out his hand.

Damon was over the distraction thing, he just couldn't quite determine how to retreat without ending up with a stake in his chest. Silas cocked his head at that moment, his gaze shifting to the right and it didn't take too long for Damon to figure out why. Like the zombies of the apocalypse the people of Mystic Falls were slowly emerging, a sea of blank faces slowly closing in on them. He recognised a lot of them and judging by Elena and Bonnie's horrified expressions so did they, David on the other hand seemed entirely unmoved, his expression bordering on bored.

Bonnie sighed sounding defeated, "let me go," she intoned to David who Damon noted had not relinquished his hold upon her.

"Yes David, let her go," Silas sneered, smug in his victory.

David's arm loosened around Bonnie's waist, but then he shoved her and Damon found her deposited into his own arms.

"Run," David told them, his voice deadly calm as he drew a sword Damon hadn't even noticed he was carrying and closed the gap between Silas and himself.

Damon hesitated only long enough to see Silas' eyes flash in surprise and wonder if David's thoughts were somehow barred from the ancient vamp before he flashed Bonnie from the bad horror film setting. He was aware of Elena following close behind, but not much else. How long could one, whatever the hell David was, really hold off a two thousand-year old mind reading vampire? Not long, he imagined.

As though in answer he heard someone pursuing them, worryingly catching up, he stopped running passing Bonnie off to Elena when she stopped beside him. "Go," he ordered and turned from them both to face the threat behind.

"Why did you stop?" David asked coming towards him.

Damon took a breath through his teeth, unsure if this was another of Silas' tricks or if the man had somehow gone up against the vamp and not only live to tell the tale but actually gotten the better of him.

"Move Damon, he won't be down for long," David said before he flashed away.

"I'll be damned," Damon had to remember to ask David what the hell he was.

* * *

They had reached the falls without incident for which Klaus was grateful, but for reasons he didn't understand they had also reached them in silence for which he was just annoyed. He wasn't certain what was going on in Caroline's head, but he got the distinct impression she was angry with him and not just because he had snapped her neck in the woods. Her anger was a living breathing entity that crowded the space between them.

The moment the vehicle stopped she was out the door. He was a moment behind her, but rather than joining her at the edge of the Falls he moved to the back of the vehicle opening the trunk to check on Katherine. The doppelgänger greeted him with an unimpressed glare, which was indication enough that she was no worse for wear so he enclosed her in the latest of her prisons smiling at her screeching disapproval.

That done he turned his attention back to the object of his affection; she was waiting with Gabe and Adam in tow looking pensively into the water below. Klaus' breath expelled in an audible sigh, even with her face contorted by worry she was the most exquisite creature he had ever beheld. He mapped the contour of her elegant neck, committing every inch of her to his memory, drinking her in. Not for the first time he wondered if there would come a day when she would look at him the way he looked at her, if one day her thoughts would be consumed by him.

Each day without her, wondering if he would ever have her back in his life, had diminished him. He wanted her to feel as he did, to burn for him too.

Klaus moved to her side, deliberately crowding her space yet she did not react, she stubbornly kept her gaze fixed on the water below as though to spite him. He found her current behaviour exceedingly frustrating, he had an urge to drain someone to sink his teeth into their carotid and suck the life out of them. Few people in this world had such power over him, and had he loved her less...

The longer her passive aggressive silence continued the more infuriating it was, not the least because it was out of character; he was used to her riling against him not retreating into herself. His fingers flexed at his side, he wanted to hold her, to shake her, to throw her across the Falls, whatever it took to force her into some reaction, some interaction.

Gabe's chanting drew him from his thoughts, as the chanting continued he felt the magic building, like a vibration wrenching through his bones. The witch pointed and his eyes followed noting a lighter patch of water visible in that direction, marking the spot where the younger Salvatore lay. Before he could prevent her Caroline dove off the cliff into the watery depths below.

"Bloody hell," he sighed in annoyance as she was the dark water swallowed her. He threw off his shoes, shirt and jeans he followed her. The water was, he could tell, a few degrees lower than the surrounding air, he cut through it quickly, soon catching up with his troublesome blonde and overtaking her to reach that patch of lightness. He dove beneath the surface, down into the depths until he found Stefan's penitentiary, he grabbed the wheel and snapped it open wrenching open the safe door. Caroline joined him in time to pull Stefan free.

Klaus helped her pull the desiccated vampire to the bank; clear of the water, he left her cradling Stefan's head in her lap and signalled the others. Ordinarily he would have flashed them back to the others, but wanted the opportunity to talk with Caroline.

"They'll come soon enough," he told her.

She looked up at him with a quizzical expression, biting her lower lip, "why are we waiting here?"

"Because I want to talk to you," he met her gaze and held it.

"What if I don't want to talk to you?" she looked down at Stefan whose eyes remained closed.

"That would be unfortunate," he paused. "Not to mention unwise."

She glared at him, but said nothing.

He sighed, "What is it that I've done to offend you this time sweetheart?"

Her eyes widened slightly, her teeth continued to worry her lip, so he knew her response was a lie, "Nothing, unless you count snapping my neck which you probably don't."

"I did what was necessary; I won't apologise for it."

She scoffed and turned her attention back to Stefan, "have you ever apologised?"

"Not in recent memory," he informed her, his face blank.

"When dinosaurs roamed the earth then?" she snapped back.

The laugh escaped his throat before he could stop it, he really didn't know why he allowed her to do this to him, pull his humanity to the surface - make him want to.

"Well at least you're talking to me again," he smirked as her eyes flashed back up, burning with anger.

She sighed heavily and closed her eyes for a moment before meeting his gaze again, at the precise moment she opened her mouth to speak Gabe and Adam arrived.

"Wouldn't it have been easier for you to come to us?" Gabe asked them handing Klaus his clothes.

"No doubt," he answered irritated. He threw his clothes back on.

Adam moved forward, four blood bags in his arms which he handed to Caroline before stepping back. The worried expression reclaimed her features as she stared at the blood.

"Couldn't we have gotten animal blood?" her eyes slide back to Stefan's unmoving form.

Gabe looked puzzled, but Adam merely shrugged. Klaus meet the witch's questioning gaze. "Ripper," it was clear the man required no further explanation, his eyes widening as he stepped further back.

Caroline sighed as she ripped open the first of the bags and began pouring the blood into Stefan's open mouth. Klaus watched with amused interest as at the end of the first bag the vampire's eyes shoot open and darkened immediately. This was the Stefan he enjoyed the vampire not afraid of the darkness within, the fun version not wasting his eternal life brooding over things that could not be undone and stuffing his face with cuddly bunnies. After the third bag his colouring had returned to normal and his hands ripped the fourth bag from Caroline's clutches tearing into it with abandon. Then the ripper was on his feet flashing towards the only warm blooded creature, predictably he was back on the ground in record time clutching his head in agony.

Caroline's hands came to rest either side of Stefan's face pulling him up until they were eye to eye, his body relaxed as Gabe released him and held within her gaze he appeared to drag himself back from his blood grazed state. Klaus found it entertaining, but not wanting to fall further out of favour with his favourite blonde he kept his features neutral.

"Stefan," she whispered out his name; the tenderness in her tone made Klaus jealous. The vampire's eyes shifted out of focus darting to Gabe, seemingly fixed on the throbbing artery in the witch's neck. "Stefan," she commanded his attention, her voice firm and unyielding drawing his gaze back to hers. Her hand caressed his cheek and Klaus watched as the vampire closed his eyes leaning in to rest his forehead against hers in an action so intimate it was offensive. His hands itched to tear them apart, to tear him apart.

Obvious to this Caroline continued, her voice soft and soothing, "just breathe, focus on the air moving into your lungs, you're okay, you're going to be okay." She continued speaking words of comfort, continued caressing his cheek with one hand the other moving to back of his neck holding him to her for an uncomfortable amount of time, at least to Klaus it was.

Stefan took a shuttering breath and opened his eyes, black had turned back to hazel; the veins around his eyes had receded. It was clear he was far from in control, but he was clearly trying.

"Caroline," Stefan said softly, his hands moved to cup her face.

Klaus ground his teeth and turned from them to find Adam's eyes fixed upon him, the man's body tight as a spring, clearly anticipating some rash action on Klaus' part. He nodded his head at the man and stepped away moving to stand next to Gabe, Adam moved to stand between them and the two who remained in their embrace on the ground.

Eventually Gabe put an end to the nauseating display, "we need to move, there was trouble in town."

"What do you mean trouble?" Caroline having finally disentangled herself was on her feet with hands on her hips.

"Silas was there, David managed to incapacitate him but he won't be down long and the sword was lost," Gabe whilst answering her question spoke directly to Adam who drew his own sword and nodded.

"Who was in town," Stefan asked his voice low and sounding strained.

"Your brother, Elena, and Bonnie," Klaus advised, bracing himself as he turned to face Caroline anticipating a vocal lashing.

Her eyes were wide, and though he knew it wasn't really possible for a vampire to pale she seemed whiter somehow. A shudder travelled through her and her breath expelled in a shocked gasp. Once again she had reacted contrary to his expectations, but this time it worried rather than annoyed him. "What?"

"I have to speak to him," she said. "I have to stop him," her eyes found his, a palpable dread within them.

"Don't make me snap your neck again, love," he cautioned.

She shook her head, "you don't understand. Connie told me, I have to speak with him; he has to know…what will happen."

"Who is Connie, and who has to know what?" Stefan asked turning her back to face him, his hand remaining on her shoulder.

She looked lost for a moment, he rather imagined the first question threw her, how did one explain the creature she called Connie? She seemed to recover reaching the logical conclusion to simply ignore the question she was unable to answer and instead responded to the second. "Silas has to know that he cannot destroy the Other Side, if he does," she paused taking an unnecessary breath, "there will be nowhere to go should we die. We will cease to exist, Lexie, Alaric, Kol…all of them will _die_ die."

Neither Gabe nor Adam reacted, clearly this was not news to them, but it was to Klaus. It did not surprise him that the black-eyed bitch had not shared the information with him, but he was surprised that Caroline had chosen not to tell him. He felt the anger rise within him, why had she remained silent? "This is information you should have shared earlier," he ground the words out.

"Had you broken my neck earlier I would have," she snapped back.

This time Gabe appeared to be as surprised as he was, "you spoke to her when you died?" The witch asked his head cocked to the side.

"Yes," she huffed. "Now can we go? We need to get to him before he finds Bonnie, dire consequences and all that." And with that she headed off in the direction of the car, dragging Stefan by the hand. He followed the pair back to the car and joined them in the back seat; he noted that Caroline hadn't relinquished the vampire's hand.

"So where do you think he is?" she asked when Adam and Gabe had taken their places in the front.

The answer was obvious, Silas would be wherever Bonnie was, but he didn't want to say it out loud only too aware that Caroline would soon realise that he had hung her friend out to dry.

As it happened Gabe, who had settled into the driver's seat, had come to the same conclusion, "the rendezvous isn't far, with luck we'll get there first."


	19. Chapter 19

"I liked this top," she snapped her eyes narrowed in annoyance.

Elijah didn't respond or react in any way to what she had said, some part of her understood his decision to disregard her pity concerns which were certainly low on the list of their priorities, but still would it have killed him to fake concern? A little lip service was all she wanted, it not like he had to actually give a damn.

Still, it was possible he was in mourning for his suit, which she was pleased to note not only had a lovely branch sized hole in the front but sported mud stains and a number of rips. She found it within her to smile.

"So what now?" she queried.

He at least looked at her this time, "my phone is beyond repair, is yours still operation?"

She pulled her blinged out phone from her pocket, pleased to discover it hadn't suffered the same fate as her brothers. Before she could ask what he needed it for he had already taken it from her and dialled. "Rude!"

"_Bekah?"_ she heard Nik's voice as he answered the call.

"Elijah," her companion corrected.

"_Impeccable timing," _Nik drawled.

"We are in Mystic Falls brother," Elijah responded before Nik could hang up on him.

"_Of course you are," _he didn't sound overly pleased or rather, at all pleased.

"Where are you?" Elijah continued in the same tone unaffected by their brother's tone.

"_I'll text you the location." _ Followed by a dial tone.

"Pleasant as always," she drolled, earning herself a less an approving look from Elijah before his attention was drawn back to her phone as it beeped.

"We should go," he announced and turned in the direction of the car.

"Yes, lets!" she agreed in a falsely bright tone of voice, aiming for annoying and by his expression clearly achieving her goal. She was aware that her brother had become less impressed the longer her peevish attitude continued, but she'd be damned if she was going to pretend everything was right in her world. It would be a while till she was in the mood to forgive and forget or to act her considerable age, regardless of how cringe worthy he found her behavior.

Time might heal all wounds, but there would always be scars.

Elijah straightened his tie in what she assumed was an unconscious action considering the state his outfit was in, he seemed preoccupied his eyes scanning the area as though he was expecting company or another attack. She followed behind him, not bothering to ask why they were still at human speed – she really didn't care at this point. Not paying too much attention it took her a moment to realize that he had stopped and bent down inspecting a crumbled form.

"In a rush then?" she asked; bitchy cheerleader out in force. He didn't respond so she moved forward to see what, or rather who it was that had garnered his attention. The brunette looked somewhat familiar to her; it took a moment for her to dredge the name from her memories. "Sophie."

"She's been drained, most likely by Silas," his tone was even, but she sensed that it took some effort to achieve. The emotion was thinly veiled and she wondered why that was, why he cared that the Witch was dead.

In a rare moment of weakness he volunteered more information, "her life was bound to Hayley's."

"Good riddance," she scoffed and found herself rewarded with an actual glare. Not overly interested in a lecture on how callous she was, she stepped over Sophie's lifeless form and headed to the car.

"We should bury her," his voice called out to her.

"Whatever, I'll wait in the car," she didn't bother to turn around, it wasn't as though he actually thought she'd be amendable to scooping out a grave with her bare hands after all. It was surprising that he was even contemplating it; then again he always had a soft spot witches and his suit was already beyond repair - what was a bit more dirt?

She clomped back to the car happy to find that it hadn't been commandeered while they were indisposed. Barely a minute had passed before she regretted not snatching her phone back from Elijah, she had nothing to do but wait which wasn't an activity she was fond of.

"How long does it take to bury someone?" she mused aloud whilst tapping her nails against the dash in irritation.

Apparently at least fifteen minutes because that was how long she had to wait for Elijah to appear at the tree line. Digging had done nothing for him, he looked like he'd been buried himself; she snorted in amusement.

"There might be a t-shirt and shorts in the back if you'd care to change," she advised making little effort to contain her mirth. He didn't dignify her with an answer, simply starting the car and backing out. "Give me my phone back."

Without looking at her he handed it over; they continued in silence for a few miles before she felt the need to break it. "What was she to you?"

"Regardless of what she was or was not Rebekah, she needed to be buried," he informed her that even tone, neatly avoiding a real answer which she found infuriating.

"I don't necessarily disagree, I'm just curious as to why it affected you so," she made a real effort to keep her voice soft, suppressing the inner bitch.

"All loss of life is regrettable, in this instance at least two lives were lost, possibly three," he kept his eyes on the road.

"Did you…care for her?" she knew shock was evident in her voice.

"I respected Sophie and Hayley…" he paused as though searching for an appropriate description. "She was very human."

She made no response; she didn't really know what to say, if there was anything she could say. The thing she most wanted to ask was precisely what she knew she must not – had Elijah developed feelings for one or both of them? Whatever he may have felt it had not been enough to jeopardize the doppelgänger bitch's life, so perhaps it was merely that his overdeveloped sense of honor was reeling at being confronted by the consequences of withdrawing his promised protection. One thing she was certain of, Elijah would recover and quickly at that, which was a stark contrast to what she expected from the other of her brothers still among the living.

Rebekah followed Elijah's example and focussed on the road ahead, more particularly on the pending reunion with Nik. The last time they had meet her day had taken a turn for the worst, her world had crumbled around her; this meeting could not end as badly she mused. Still, she wondered what they would encounter, who they would encounter. Would she recognize Nik at all?

It was no secret that she and Caroline had never exactly gotten along, the baby vamp was not among her favorite people, yet she had often thought that had circumstances differed they might have been friends. Given time they might still have become so. Rebekah certainly found the blonde to be the least annoying of that group, there was the whole saved her life thing and, if Nik had had his way, Caroline would have eventually joined the ranks of family. Given time they might have become as close as sisters.

Her whole life seemed to be a list of might have beens.

Elijah might find it within him to mourn the passing of each member of his acquaintance, but she didn't mourn the passing of Sophie or Hayley - Caroline was another matter. Rebekah mourned her passing; not just for what she was and what she promised to become, but for what she had undoubtedly taken with her upon departing from their world – her favorite brother.

* * *

Lady luck was smiling on them; they had reached the rendezvous without being further accosted and arrived first at that. He'd have been positively enthusiastic if the rest of their party hurried the hell up so they could get the as far from Silas as physically possible. Elena was, as he always hoped she would be, at his side, David had left them to check the perimeter or something of the sort and Bonnie attempting to work some kind of protective mojo that he didn't pretend to understand.

"How much longer do you think?" Elena asked him, her big brown eyes full to the brim with worry.

"Any minute now beautiful," he told her calmly though he felt anything but. He wasn't too keen on sticking around, sure at the time Bonnie's house seemed like a good idea what with all the grimoires and long line of protective spells, but the longer they stayed there the more certain he was that in the history of bad ideas meeting up at the house of the one witch Silas was hunting for was the worst.

Five minutes later he was about ready to advocate ditching the rest of them and making a run for it, so it was lucky that Caroline choose that moment to waltz in with Gabe in tow.

"What time do you call this Blondie?" he tried for cocky but wasn't sure he achieved it.

"I missed you too, speaking of, Bonnie would you invite Klaus and Stefan in?" only then did he notice that Bonnie had clearly finished whatever it was that she was doing.

The witch headed to the door and he would have followed except he found himself unable to move staring at Caroline with his chin just about hitting the ground. "How come you didn't need an invitation?" he asked her, a shiver creeping up his spine.

She looked surprised by his question, "Bonnie invited me in ages ago, it's only the likes of you she didn't want in her house."

"Funny how Stefan didn't get an invite then," he replied automatically before he gave any thought to what she had said.

"Caroline," Elena's voice was so quiet he was sure no one but himself and Blondie had heard it. "I couldn't get in."

For a moment Caroline looked puzzled, but he could see when realization hit; her eyes went wide, her mouth opened in small pout as the air expelled from her lungs. He watched her throat swallowing nervously.

Stefan choose that moment to wrap his arms around him, crushing him to his chest. Damon wrapped his arms around his brother, but kept his eyes on Caroline. There was something seriously off with her, if not for the fact that the others were with her he'd have been convinced she was Silas in disguise. His view was blocked as Elena stepped into his vision and wrapped her arms around both himself and Stefan, tears trailing down her cheeks. When they broke apart Caroline was no longer in the room, he listened for her following the sound of hushed tones outside to where she and David were in the middle of what appeared to be a whispered argument. As he approached they broke apart, David disappeared down the side of the house and Caroline headed back to the house. He stopped her from entering, grabbing her forearm.

"What's going on Barbie?"

"I don't know Damon, something..." she paused, looking straight through him as though he wasn't there, "something is happening to me."

"Tell me something I don't know Sherlock," he didn't bother to keep the irritation from his voice. When he found his arm wrenched from her forearm and his body pressed forcefully into the side of the house by an homicidal looking Hybrid he thought perhaps it might have been wise to have at least attempted it.

"You best watch how you speak to the lady Salvatore," Klaus spat the words out.

Damon was under the distinct impression that Klaus had built up an awful lot of violent tension and was on the look out for an outlet; he was damn sure he didn't want to be that outlet, yellow eyes did not bode well for his chances of survival.

Luckily for him Caroline's hands gripped the Hybrid's, "Klaus stop!"

Though Klaus looked sorely disappointed he allowed her to pull him back, releasing Damon. Damon ran his hands over his throat watching the Hybrid wearily, he decided it was in his best interest to discontinue his conversation with Blondie, at least for the present. That in mind, "bout time we skipped town."

The two exchanged a lot, which made him all the more uncomfortable. "Not time to bounce?" he asked dreading the answer.

"Rebekah and Elijah are on their way," Klaus responded, but Damon was certain there was something he wasn't sharing.

"Right, and when they get here?" the two again exchanged a look.

"I need to talk to Silas," Caroline announced.

"So not what I was expecting," there wasn't just something going on with her, she was off her rocker.

"If he destroys the Other Side then everyone there will cease to exist," Klaus paused, "as will any one of you that die after the act."

There was something distinctly smug about the Hybrid or perhaps that was Damon seeing what he wanted to see. Still, he didn't see why it was necessary for the Hybrid to point out it was unlikely he would be sharing their fate should Silas succeed. Being an Original was not without its benefits.

Damon sighed, "so what's the plan?"

"I talk to Silas," Caroline advised.

He was incredulous. "That's it? The whole plan is _you _ talk to Silas?" It was officially the worst plan ever.

Klaus smirked, "that's what the lady said."

He'd have snorted his dissent to the lady part of that sentence but his survival instincts kicked in, best not to poke the angry Hybrid Original.

"While we are waiting, you can tell me why Tyler left," Caroline's gaze settled on something over his left shoulder.

He turned to find Elena, however much she had heard of their conversation he didn't know, but she'd certainly heard the last part and before he could stop her she spoke. "He went with Hayley."

Caroline's eyes flashed the deepest blue before they turned black, veins popping, "what?" she shrieked.

This, Damon reflected, would have been the perfect moment for the Hybrid to make himself useful and snap Blondie's neck before she went postal, but as the man appeared to be working on suppressing a satisfied smirk Damon figured it was not going to happen.

* * *

Caroline's entire being was pulsating with anger. "Tyler left with the were-slut? Seriously? Seriously?!" If it had been Damon to tell her she could have dismissed it out of hand, he was a prized ass-hat, but Elena wouldn't do that to her. Unless...

"Did you turn it off again?" she regarded her friend with squinting eyes.

"No, I'm sorry Caroline. I'm sure he wouldn't have if he'd known," Elena's eyes fell to the ground. "We all thought you were dead, you know," her eyes came up briefly tears building in their corners, "he never would have left if he'd known you were alive, I'm sure of it."

"So your telling me that because you all thought I was dead for what? Six months? Nine? He decided that he'd run off with Klaus' baby mama?" she was aware that her tone had turned vicious at the end. "And you," she turned to Klaus with an accusing finger. "Just why didn't you tell them I was alive? I know you knew!"

His mouth was hanging open, he looked utterly confounded. Rather than wasting time for him to get it together she continued on her rant, "So I'm barely dead and Tyler runs off with the bitch who helped kill me? Is that what you're telling me?"

Elena nodded in response as Damon moved closer to her side as though afraid Caroline was on the verge of leaping at her. Sure she was boiling in a rage that could rival the sun in its intensity, but she wasn't going to take it out on her friend, a tree definitely, Damon if that wasn't effective, Klaus in a pinch, but not Elena. Well, at least not until after the tree, Damon, and Klaus.

"Just when were you lot planing on telling me this?" she flung out to the general populace.

"If we'd known this would be your reaction, then how bout never?" Damon moved himself ahead of the tree.

Before she could launch herself at him to rip his head off, another interrupted, "Caroline?"

She turned and found herself facing Elijah and Rebekah with equally astounded expressions gracing their faces.

"Oh my god, Caroline," Rebekah shrieked and then did something so unexpected that before she knew it Caroline found herself on the ground with the Original on top of her hugging her fiercely. It was so shocking that for a moment her anger was forgotten and then without giving it much thought she hugged the other blonde back.

"Well isn't this delightful," yet another voice interrupted.

Caroline looked up, her gaze meeting _Not the Old_ Stefan's or as other people knew him, Silas.

"Welcome back sunshine."


	20. Chapter 20

**A big thank you to all of those that reviewed; I really appreciate it.**

Arrogance was his undoing; it hadn't occurred to him that there was anyone who could actually challenge him, excepting the little witch in New Orleans of course. Yet just when Bonnie Bennett was to surrender herself to him the man stepped forward and did just that. Silas hadn't seen it coming, he had absolutely no idea what the man was thinking so when he had pushed the witch from him Silas was surprised. When the man had cleaved the sword up into his chest, lodging it in his clavicle, he had been astounded. But that was nothing to what he had felt when his skin had begun to turn grey and his legs given way below him. The world had spun on its axis and his arrogance had evaporated quicker than the man had flashed away.

A town full of people under his control and not one of them was left with the capacity of thought to remove the sword which continued to sap all traces of life. For the first time in two thousand years he actually feared for his life. Time appeared to slow, each breath lengthened, each heart beat stretched. Every cell in his body screamed as at an agonizingly slow pace his body shut down, vision left him, sound retreated, feeling dulled, thoughts became sparse until all that remained was the thumping of his slowing heartbeat.

Like poison in his veins the sword reduced him, leached all semblance of self from his body and thoughts, he was a heartbeat in an empty shell and then that too ended. For a split second Silas was no more, he was utterly defeated.

Then as slowly as he stopped, he began again, a single heartbeat signalling the procession back to into being. As each sense was lost so was it regained; low conversations, expressions of horror and curiosity were being exchanged around him. When his vision finally returned he found himself staring at a collection of feet; the good townsfolk had clearly gathered around him and judging by their conversations were also clearly no longer under his influence.

It was therefore unsurprising that they issued a collection of screams and almost all of them scrambled away when he reached his hand up and pulled the sword from his body. Weakened though he was, he easily capitalized on the opportunity presented by those who didn't have the presence of mind to run and drained them in short order. His eyes scanned for any further snacks within easy distance before alighting on the fallen sword which lay in pieces in the grass, it was a curious weapon the like of which he had never seen before, not even in the minds of those he had inhabited during his long captivity. Had he either the time or the inclination he was sure he would discover all its secrets, but as it was no longer and he had already lost too much time he put it out of his mind.

It was a problem he could consider at a later date, at present Miss Bennett was making her escape. He knew where she was headed when she left, all the minds - those that he could read at least - had loudly broadcast their destination. The blood he had ingested had healed his wounds, but had not restored him to full strength. Still, he was confident that barring another sword wielding mad man he would acquire the Bennett witch's services - he just had to get there in time. He moved as quick as he was able, knowing precisely where his prey had headed and determined that she not slip from his grasp yet again.

He arrived in time to see the blonde Original launch herself at Caroline, his breath had caught in his throat, for the briefest of moments fearing that the Original meant her ill before he invaded her thoughts reading her intention. Caroline's mouth had opened in surprise, her entire countenance radiating it before her arms had wrapped themselves around the other in a welcoming gesture. He felt an equal measure of amusement and jealousy, the later prompting him to interject himself in the little scene, "well isn't this delightful."

All eyes focused on him at the point, but there was only one pair he wanted to meet. Her big blue eyes locked with his and for a second or two they shone with something close to pleasure, at least it seemed so to him. Perhaps he was projecting for felt as though he had stepped out of a long dark night and back into the sun.

"Welcome back sunshine," he greeted her with genuine warmth even as she turned from him her lips forming a thin line. She rose to her feet in one graceful movement, gazing from one side to the other, drawing his attention to the two males that had taken up residence at her side. One he recognized as the man who had embedded the sword in his chest, the other was unfamiliar and he fervently wished the sword he carried was equally so.

"They're with me," her soft voice informed him.

He raised an eyebrow, not exactly surprised with her admission considering how the men positioned themselves, but wanting to know more their relationship to her. Wanting to know why she would claim them.

"This is Adam and I believe you have met David," she pointed to each of them in turn, then stepping passed them she motioned towards the house. "Gabe is in the house with Bonnie and Stefan," she sighed softly. "I know why you're here Silas," she breathed out his name, almost hesitantly.

"I need the witch and I will be taking her," he told her firmly. He wanted to tell Caroline that he wouldn't hurt her, that though he would tear each and every one of her companions limb from limb she would always be safe with him. He wanted to say that, but found himself mute. There were too many witnesses, too many others that might mistake words meant to offer her comfort as a lack of resolve he told himself, though the true was darker - he couldn't tell her that because it wasn't true, if she chose to stand against him he would not stay his hand.

"I'm sorry for your loss," she moved further forward and, as though there was a string that tied them together, he watched Klaus move with her.

"Thank you for your heartfelt condolences," he sneered, though in truth he was grateful.

"Now, I'll be taking my witch," he turned away from her towards the building that housed what he required. Before he had taken a step she flashed in front of him, Klaus now practically attached to her hip it with barely an inch between them. Something in her posture told him that she wasn't entirely comfortable with the Hybrid's proximity though from his thoughts he could tell there was nothing behind it other than the man's deep seated need to protect her. It was in that moment that he realized that her thoughts were closed to him, the same kind of blankness he encountered with David. Without really thinking he reached out to cup her face.

The Hybrid beside her growled and might have launched himself at him had her hand not spade across the man's chest. "You have to stop," whether the words were for him or the Hybrid, he wasn't sure at first. "This war with Qetsiyah must end."

Anger rose within him, "just what do you think I'm trying to do?" He withdrew his hands as though she'd burned him, "I will end this war!"

"You will end us all," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

She was a surprising creature even before her thoughts became unreadable, but she had never blindsided him before. "What did you say?"

"If you destroy the Other Side you won't go to the Afterlife when you die, none of us will, we will just die," she looked at him pleadingly.

He didn't need to read her thoughts to know she was telling the truth, because the second the words left her mouth his soul screamed in agony. Two thousand years he had labored and for what? To think himself so close to achieving his heart's desire only to have it torn from him - it took him a long while to digest the enormity of it all, the tragedy that was his daily existence. But when he did he found that it wasn't the dream of reuniting with Junia that made his soul scream, it was the knowledge that Qetsiyah had triumphed, that he had been fighting two thousand years in a war he had lost before it really begun.

"What happens to those that reside in the Other Side if I destroy it?" he asked her, his voice deceptively calm. She was quick, his Caroline, he knew she had immediately followed his line of thinking and when her eyes widened in horror he had his answer.

"They cease to be," he said what she refused to, a small smile spreading across his face.

* * *

Klaus had never in his life felt such such a mixture of helplessness and fury as he did watching Caroline with Silas. There was a large part of him that wanted to grab her and run, to hold her close and save regardless of the consequences of doing so.

When Silas had reached out and touched her, his muscles had automatically readied themselves to attack; her hand, a mere touch had stilled him, forced him to cease his advance. It would never cease to amaze him how she alone could hold him back even in his blinding rage. How her one weak hand could hold him back when an army would have failed.

Throughout the conversation her hand remained on his chest and even as that creepy smile spread across the face of old friend shared Klaus remained caged by it. While he could not do what he wished the most, when that evil smile had etched across the vampire's face his own hand reached up to cover hers whilst his other slipped around her waist bringing her closer. She did not turn her gaze upon him, it was fixed upon Silas as though she was worried if it was broken she would lose whatever small measure of influence she might have over the vampire.

"Please Silas, don't do this," her voice seemed so desperate.

Silas paused, seemingly affected, "this has been my life for two thousand years Caroline, what would you have me do?"

"Start a new life," the words flew from her mouth, "find a way to live and be happy."

The vampire cocked his head, considering her words, "I'm not sure I can."

"Yes, you can," she insisted, her voice was stronger, her shoulders straightening. Klaus couldn't see her eyes, but he was certain they were on fire.

Silas pursed his lips, his smile turning from deadly to amused as he beheld her in all her glory, his hazel eyes shifted meeting Klaus'. The vampire might have been the mind reader, but Klaus knew what he was thinking, knew what he would say before the words left his lips. Involuntarily Klaus tightened his grip on Caroline's waist, if it pained her he saw no sign of it.

"And what if dear Caroline only you could make me happy in this new life?"

Klaus felt her stiffen ever so slightly as his own blood turned to ice.

"What?" she choked out.

"If only you bring me happiness in this world Caroline, would you consent to an eternity at my side?" his voice was low and seductive.

A gasp left her throat, but words seemed beyond her. Klaus' eyes burned a hole through Silas' head, he wanted nothing more than to rip out the vampire's innards - he knew that Caroline would capitulate, she would sacrifice herself, the rest of her eternity and he would be forced to spend the rest of his agonizing over her absence.

But before she did that, before she found the words that would consign him to hell on earth, Silas spoke again.

"You would, wouldn't you my little ray of sunshine?" he paused briefly. "It's time for you to leave."

"But, I..."

The vampire cut her off, his voice hard, "take your witch friend and go."

Klaus breathed a sigh of relief, then pulled her back crushing her to his chest as he turned her to place his body between the two.

"Get the car," he ordered, throwing his keys to David.

As David moved towards the car Adam flashed into the house, exiting seconds later with Gabe in tow, they moved not to the vehicle David was starting but instead to the one Elijah and Rebekah had arrived in. His siblings, as though by some unspoken agreement, arrived at the vehicle at the same moment while Damon and Elena entered the third.

Stefan and Bonnie then exited the house, both holding Grimoires in their arms, the later's gaze nervously held that of Silas until she was in the vehicle with David the door firmly shut. Stefan joined his brother, leaving only himself and Caroline. Just as he turned to push her towards the vehicle she spoke again, "wait, just...there's something I was supposed to say."

As much as it pained him to do so, he moved just far enough for her to meet the vampire's steely gaze.

"She told me to tell you that if..." she took a deep breath, "if you didn't want to live, she would allow you to die and when you did you wouldn't go there...you wouldn't go anywhere."

"Full of surprises," he said, sounding more sad - bitter - than surprised. "And just who is _she_ that wields such power?"

"She cannot say, but if you should like to take up the offer I can lead you to her," David spoke having returned, the vehicle still running, keys in the ignition.

"Perhaps some other time," Silas responded, darkness swimming in his eyes. "Go."

"My mother?" Caroline asked quickly as Klaus pulled her towards the vehicle, David trailing behind.

"Unharmed, she's on vacation, London last I heard," he advised though he sounded far away, completely detached.

Just as they reached the vehicle Silas flashed in front of Caroline preventing her from entering.

"I am allowing you to leave Caroline, I am allowing you to take the witch with you, but that does not mean that I have decided," he ran the back of his fingers over one of her check bones. "After two thousand years the promise of oblivion is attractive, more so if that bitch shares such a fate. So run now my little ray of sunshine, but do think that this is over," he dropped his hand and his voice turned hard again, "Go!"


	21. Chapter 21

An uncomfortable silence reigned in the vehicle, there was a lot Damon wanted to say, but he held his tongue, waiting for what he did not know. Elena seemed as lost as he was staring out the window with a pensive expression, every now and then she expelled pent-up air through her nose as though she had contemplated speaking and then thought better of it. Stefan was in the back, his eyes fixed on some distance point ahead seemingly oblivious, and equally quiet.

It was a relief when their convoy arrived at the run down motel where the humans had been sent to wait for them, well most of the humans. Damon wasn't certain where Klaus had stashed his new blood bag, but he imagined wherever she was, Katherine wasn't happy. He briefly considered telling his brother, but then thought better of it. No telling how Stefan would react to hearing of another's incarceration so soon after his own – there was no telling how he would react to anything.

The moment the car stopped Elena was out the door and pulling out of the motel room and into her arms. He was sorely tempted to follow her, but as his brother remained unmoving in the back seat he paused undecided.

"Go," Stefan spoke up.

Damon turned to meet his eyes, "Nah, they need a moment." He looked Stefan over, his brother looked like he need a vacation or twelve. His clothing was ragged, his hair a mess and for someone who'd come from the longest bath in history he looked unnaturally dirty. It was the eyes though that showed the most damage, he looked vacant almost; Damon had never seen Stefan in such a state.

"I'm sorry," the words were not adequate to explain the depth of his regret, his guilt, but they were best he could offer.

Stefan nodded, but he was looking past Damon, his focus on the people outside - more particularly on the humans outside. There was something distinctly strained about his younger brother, like he'd just come off a blood bender, the ripper still close to the surface. It seemed to take a great deal of effort for Stefan to turn his attention back to Damon, but after a couple of minutes his hazel eyes meet Damon's questioning gaze.

"It wasn't your fault Damon, it wasn't you;" he said in a low voice before he exited the car.

Damon watched as he went and stood by Caroline who had Matt locked in what looked like a bone crushing hug. The moment the blonde released Matt she was by his brother's side, her hand in his - Damon wondered if it was to offer comfort or more of a restraining nature.

He exited the car and went to stand with Elena, they made for an unusual grouping. Elijah and Rebekah were off to the side, standing not too far from the vehicle they arrived in. Caroline, Stefan and Bonnie stood somewhat in the middle with Klaus, Adam, David and Gabe forming a rough circle around them. Elena, Jeremy and himself stood closest to the motel and Matt was in no man's land somewhere between the two Original vampires and themselves. It occurred to him that where they stood might be a reflection on their allegiances - how much they had changed.

"So what's the plan?" Jeremy asked, Damon presumed that the others had filled the humans in on what happened in his absence.

"We are returning to New Orléans," Klaus answered, exactly who "we" included was unclear.

"By we you mean?" he figured he may as well ask, though he sincerely hoped he wasn't included.

"My siblings, myself...Caroline," Klaus paused, his eyes focused on Caroline and Stefan's joined hands. "Stefan, if necessary," he added though clearly none too pleased.

"And Bonnie," Caroline spoke up, letting go of Stefan's hand and moving closer to the Hybrid.

"Of course love," he said smiling briefly.

"What about us?" Jeremy again.

"What about you?" Rebekah sneered, making her feelings on the subject abundantly clear.

Elena stepped forward, "we need to stay together."

Damon couldn't have disagreed more, but was saved from being the jerk this particular time by the Original Hybrid who summed up his sentiments in one word.

"No," he stated, his expression matching his tone, cold and unyielding.

"What?" Elena's voice had risen, she seemed genuinely shocked.

"You're not invited," and with that he took Caroline by the arm and led her back to their vehicle. David was already climbing into the driver's seat, Adam and Gabe situating themselves in the back of the two Original vampire's vehicle.

Elena's eyes meet his, her expression pleading for him to do something, anything.

When he made no move to intervene Elena opened her mouth again, no doubt intending to raise further objections, but Rebekah cut her off, "we don't have time to babysit, so toddle off Elena."

"You can't make them go with you," Elena pointed out. "And you can't stop us from coming," she ended with eyes narrowed.

The Hybrid sighed, and then flashed in front of her, grabbed her by the neck and held her gaze, his eyes dilating, "you are not coming to New Orléans. You will go find refuge elsewhere."

Elena repeated the words, her voice sounding miles away, her face blank.

Damon was equal parts angry and relieved. He knew they couldn't stay in Mystic Falls, Silas was still resident and the chances that the vampire's reign of terror was at an end were slim to none, yet going to New Orléans was equally unappealing. From all accounts Klaus was in the middle of a power struggle which, if it wasn't already, would get bloody. He was one hundred percent certain that the life expectancy in that town was going to plummet and he didn't want his baby vampire anywhere near it.

Klaus dropped Elena the moment she finished speaking then turned, exchanged a quick glance with Stefan before nodding and returning to Caroline's side - Klaus pointedly ignoring the death-stare the blonde was directing his way.

Bonnie stepped forward and drew Elena into a tight hug, "I'm sorry, but we have to go." She pulled back and smiled sadly, "I don't expect you to understand, I don't really understand myself, but we have to..." she paused looking at Klaus as though considering something, "you can't come with us."

Bonnie moved to Jeremy hugging him tight whispering something so lowly in his ear that Damon missed it. She hugged Matt next and then without another word climbed into the passenger seat next to David, her eyes locked on a point ahead of her as though reluctant to meet any of their gazes.

"I'm going as well," Stefan broke his silence.

"Stefan," Elena breathed out, "you..." she stopped clearly uncertain how to continue.

Witchy and Blondie he could let go without a fight, but not his brother, "not happening."

Stefan smiled, then pulled Damon into a hug. "I have to," he whispered.

"This is all very touching, but I've wasted enough time here so.." Klaus motioned towards the vehicles, direction clear - get in now.

While Elijah nodded to each of them in farewell, Rebekah hugged Matt. Then the two of them where in their vehicle and they were watching them drive away.

Klaus' fingers circled around Caroline's upper arm, but she flashed out of his grasp and hugged them each in turn. Before the seething Hybrid decided to drag her to the vehicle she flashed back to his side - he got in first pulling her after him.

"I'll see you again," his little brother told them.

"Why do you have to go?" Elena asked, tears now streaming down her face.

He shrugged, "it's not forever."

Damon watched his brother turn and take up the last seat next to Caroline, the moment the door shut the vehicle was in motion and soon out of sight. He turned back to Elena, finding her in a heap on the pavement weeping in Jeremy's arms. He joined them, brushing her hair from her face.

"They'll be back Elena," he told her.

"What if they don't? What if they die?" she asked clearly heartbroken. He understood exactly where she was coming from, how it was physically painful for her to consider letting her friends go into a war zone - let alone without her. Yet he could not find it within him to regret that they had been left behind, he only regretted that Stefan had gone.

"You still have us," he told her in a soothing tone. She nodded, but the tears continued.

* * *

It had been a long day, a long week, a long year and there was nothing more that she wanted than to sleep until the next millennium. In the front passenger seat Bonnie had quickly nodded off, Caroline was green with envy wanting nothing more than to join her, but circumstances did not allow it. She had been sandwiched between Stefan and Klaus, both of whom appeared determined to nurse their bad attitudes all the way to New Orléans. Stefan was brooding and withdrawn, Klaus was bleak and unresponsive - neither made for a good travelling companion and both appeared to worsen with every attempt to draw them out. Worse still the two of them crowded her, each taking up more than their fair share of space and collectively making it impossible for her to get comfortable.

By the time they reached the airport she was eager to leave her dour companions and seek out new ones, but as she made to follow Stefan out the door Klaus had grabbed her arm holding her in place. "We need to talk sweetheart," he ground out, leaving her with the distinct impression whatever he wished to discuss was not a pleasant topic.

"What did you want to talk about?" she asked, dreading the answer.

He paused as though considering how best to start, "Tyler."

Had she bothered to compile a list of topics she imagined Klaus would feel like to discuss with her, she wouldn't have included Tyler on it, and he definitely wasn't on the list of things she wanted to discuss, or even think about now. "Can we do this some other time, I'm tired," she told him, attempting to tug free of his grasp.

"Caroline," how he managed to make her name sound like a threat she would never understand.

"Fine," she hissed the word out through her teeth. "What about him?"

"It wasn't nine months, not even close," he said, his voice even, measured almost.

"Do you have a point?" she knew precisely what he meant, but a part of her felt obliged to at least attempt to defend Tyler. Even if deep down she didn't believe he was defensible. After all, what could have possibly prompted the love of her life to run off with the woman who almost got her killed? Even if he thought she was dead, even if he didn't know Hayley had a hand in her abduction, Caroline could not comprehend such a betrayal.

There were few people on the planet she despised more than Hayley, scratch that, there was no one on the planet she hated more, and Tyler had to know that. So why would he go with _her_, why would he choose _her _of all people.

If their positions were reversed Caroline would have waited, till she was presented with irrefutable evidence that he was dead, and even then she would not have even contemplated running off with his worst enemy - she would have rejected Klaus' advances until the sun failed to burn.

In Tyler's absence she had held her life love in abeyance, she had remained loyal, but he couldn't be loyal for even six months? Was it less time that even that? What kind of love was that? It wasn't, not any kind she identified with anyhow.

So yes, she knew what Klaus was getting at, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

"I would never have given up," he continued pleading his lost cause.

She felt anger rising within her - Tyler wasn't her forever, but neither was he. Sure, Tyler ran off with the bitch, but at least he didn't have a kid with her. However immature it might be to hold such a thing against Klaus when they had never been together and she had never thought they would be, Caroline did hold it against him, she nurtured her anger.

For reasons she didn't rightly comprehend, or ever want to, the fact that Klaus impregnated the were-slut was more painful than the man she considered the love of her life running off with the vile woman.

It didn't make sense, but there it was.

"You already did," somehow the signals between her brain and mouth got confused, she hadn't meant to voice her thoughts.

The hand not holding her hostage reached up and cupped her face, then wrapped around her chin to force her to meet his gaze. "Is this about Hayley?" it seemed to pain him to even ask.

"Of course this is about Hayley," she snapped.

He smiled then, actually smiled as though he was amused and she felt an overwhelming desire to scratch his eyes out. "She told you that baby was mine?" his voice was soft.

She didn't answer, she was oh so tired, so sick of it all.

"It wasn't mine," he told her, his eyes pleading with her to believe him.

The strangest thing happened then, her anger replaced with what she could only be described as joy - it was strange because she knew it was not the reaction she should have had, she really shouldn't have had any reaction. It confused her. Caroline absolutely didn't want to be with Klaus, she had _never_ wanted to be with Klaus, they were friends, nothing more. They could never be anything more. She knew this, she believed _this, _and yet_.._.

"Why is Hayley on the run then?" she asked, more to distract herself than him.

"She tried to hurt you," a small smile played on his raspberry lips.

Something had shifted within her, she knew it then. Caroline felt as though she'd fallen down the rabbit hole, because the idea of Klaus searching all four corners of the earth in order to avenge her - knowing what would happen to the were-slut should Klaus find her - excited rather than repelled her.

**Author's note: I had a wee bit of trouble getting this right and don't think I was overly successful. That said, this chapter is for justine, redbudrose and chibichibi98 who have certainly waited long enough for a Klaroline bone.**


	22. Chapter 22

It was times like these that she really missed Kol. Standing on the side line of a family drama, watching Nik and Elijah go at it, really wasn't half so amusing without his whimsical commentary. In addition, the second youngest of her brothers was uniquely gifted with the ability to extend any disagreement, a perfectly timed dig here, a slip of the tongue there...but most importantly Kol would have been gleeful in his enjoyment of the scene, and in being so Rebekah would have had no need to mask hers. As it was she had watched Elijah and Nik's fight with contrived concern – it wasn't as though either of the two could die or be permanently injured after all, and frankly she believed that each of them was deserving of a good beating.

Of all the things that the latest in the long line of Michaelson dramas could have been caused by it was most unfortunately due to the vile trollop, or rather Nik's treatment of said trollop. Was there ever a time when two brothers had actually been in one of these doppelganger's presence for any length of time without fighting? She suspected not.

Upon arriving at the airport everyone had quickly absconded from their vehicles with the exception of Nik and Caroline who, for reasons passing understanding, deemed it appropriate that everyone else wait while they had a heart to heart. With each minute she was kept waiting Rebekah felt her enthusiasm over Caroline's return to the land of living ebb more to the point that she was more than a little bored when Nik finally jumped and moved around to the trunk – Caroline had appeared to be momentarily glued to her seat, for how long Rebekah couldn't tell because as soon as Nik opened the trunk she stopped paying any attention to the other blonde.

Katherine had made herself known the instant she hit fresh air and about a millisecond later Elijah had flashed forward and lifted her into his arms. The doppelganger looked a little worse for wear which Rebekah was not ashamed to admit was infinitely gratifying especially considering that the original of their number had seemed to go to great lengths to make her feel inferior.

Elijah's reaction was the exact opposite, he appeared thoroughly irate, why his mouth practically twitched in disapproval.

"What do you think you are doing?" Nik had asked in a deadly tone of voice.

"I thought we were passed this," Elijah responded as his eyes roamed her body seemingly in the process of cataloging the doppelganger's injures – the _human_ doppelganger's injuries. Rebekah, who had never been fond of Katherine, found herself deeply amused by the doppelganger's return to normalcy only too aware of how abhorrently unsatisfying the superior cow would find it - she clung to it, knowing that it was better to revel in Katherine's despair at having the cure forced upon her than to wallow in her own at having lost it.

"Thought wrong;" Klaus said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Now, either get her on the plane or hand her over."

"She's not coming with us," Elijah advised, sure and steady.

"I beg to differ," Klaus' voice attained that icy coolness she had grown to hate if directed at her. Being that it was instead directed at Elijah, Rebekah couldn't help but snort in amusement, drawing both her brother's gazes – one's lips turned up in an indulgent smirk, the others in a disapproving thin line.

She shrugged her shoulders and composed her face in a disinterested facade. "Don't mind me," she told them as though she thought they ever would have.

"Get her on the plane brother," Nik drew Elijah's attention back with the command.

"She's human," Elijah had said as though that explained everything, and perhaps to him it did.

"Which makes her useful," was the answering sneer.

Rebekah knew precisely where it would go from there and neither brother disappointed. Elijah had released Katherine and launched himself at Nik who from all appearances not only expected, but welcomed it. She had wondered idly if Elijah would have been as inclined to combat their brother had his suit not already been in such a state of disrepair – perhaps though her elder brother loved the doppelganger bitch enough that he would have chosen to ruin a brand new suit. Regardless, Rebekah was thoroughly entertained.

Her eyes had drifted from the pair just long enough to notice that Caroline had taken temporary custody of the brunette who Rebekah had no doubt had attempted to slink off during the scuffle – how she imagined there was any chance of escape while surrounded by supernaturals was a mystery. Then again, it was Katherine.

Nik and Elijah had continued their back and forth, inflicting as much damage upon each other as they possibly could - it didn't take long before they were slamming each other into the array of vehicles. She was pleased to note that Nik's outfit was taking a battering.

Oh how she missed Kol.

"Bonnie what's wrong?" Caroline's voice drew her attention from the brawl to the witch who was staring open mouthed at the empty space beside Rebekah.

"Kol," Bonnie breathed out, her face the picture of shock.

"What?" Rebekah had focused all her attention on the witch, her elder brothers forgotten. "What did you say?" her tone turned demanding.

"Kol," Bonnie repeated and then her arm came up, her finger pointing at the space beside where Rebekah stood.

Her heart skipped a beat, "Kol's here? You…you can see him?"

Bonnie's nodded as her expression twisted into a grimace, "unfortunately I can also hear him."

"Like Jeremy," Caroline stated.

Rebekah wasn't exactly sure what the other blonde was talking about, but presumed that this was a phenomenon they had encountered before – obviously in relation to the younger Gilbert. In any case she wasn't overly interest in previous events, it was the now that captured her, the possibility that she might recover a little of what she had lost. "Is Finn here too?"

"No, just _him_," Bonnie said somehow managing to make _him_ sound like a swear word.

"What is he saying?" she asked though not completely convinced she wanted to know, was he angry with her? Did he feel that she had betrayed him by aligning herself with his murders in her pursuit of the cure? Did he hate her now?

"Most of it isn't worth repeating, though he said he misses you too and is insistent that I tell you he thinks it was unsporting of Klaus to take advantage and snap Elijah's neck while we distracted him," she replied looking put upon – if the never ending grimace was anything to go by there was some heavy editing in relation to Kol's comments. Knowing her brother most of what was edited out was likely of the unsavory variety and probably directed at the witch herself.

Rebekah couldn't stop herself from smiling, happy that her brother was both here and had apparently forgiven her transgressions, even as her gaze turned back to the brothers she had left and noted that Elijah was indeed lying in a heap post neck snap. Nik's features were lifted in a small but genuine smile, his gaze fixed on the space where Kol apparently stood.

It was one of those few rare moments when the two of them were both happy, when they both had reason to be. For a while there it had seemed as though happiness would be a thing of the past, but then Caroline rose from the dead and now Kol was back...sort of.

"Is there a spell that would allow me to talk to him directly?" she asked Bonnie, ever hopeful.

"Not that I know of," the witch responded something in her tone indicated that she was surprised anyone would actually want to talk to him. The witch turned towards Gabe with a questioning look to which he responded by shrugging his shoulders, whether that meant he didn't know of one or didn't care Rebekah wasn't sure.

Bonnie spun around as though someone had grabbed her. "Kol doesn't know either," the witch said her lips forming one thin line as she glared at the space beside her before moving quickly towards the plane as though someone was in hot pursuit. Rebekah could only imagine how annoying her brother was when one was unfortunate enough to only being who could hear him.

"Why can Bonnie see him?" she wondered out loud.

"Because she died and was brought back, that's why Jeremy can in any case," Caroline helpfully supplied before dragging a bitter looking Katherine on to the plane.

It took Rebekah a while to regain the ability to move, her mind had gone into overdrive. If Bonnie could be brought back...if Jeremy could, then why not Kol? Why not Finn even? Had Nik or Elijah already looked into it? And if they had, why hadn't they succeeded? If it was achievable for the likes of the Mystic Falls idiots why not for them the Originals? Why couldn't they restore their family?

She couldn't think of a single reason so she would have to find out. Watching as Nik carried Elijah's dead weight on to the plane she decided that she would start with Nik there obviously being a small delay in getting any answers from Elijah. With Caroline back from the dead her brother had to be in good mood, right?

* * *

If he hadn't thought Rebekah would object further delaying their departure, he'd have left his older brother on the tarmac. Not because he was angry but rather because recent events had given him a better understanding of his brother's feelings and intent. Were their roles reversed he would have attacked Elijah too - he would have done everything in his power to insure Caroline's safety.

So Klaus could sympathize - perhaps go so far as to empathize – but Katherine presented an opportunity and he wasn't in the habit of wasting such things, regardless of how his anyone might _feel_ about it. There was no choice but to take her, and as it was highly unlikely she would actually choose to accompany them she traveled in the trunk or strapped down in a plane as she was currently.

In time perhaps he would be able to entertain how such actions might injure his brother, might even be able to find it within himself to let her go, but that wouldn't be anytime soon. He had a war to win, and Katherine would play a vital role. If history had taught him anything it was that Elijah would get over it; after all it wasn't as though Klaus intended to kill her…any time soon.

"I want to talk about our brothers," Rebekah interrupted his thoughts taking the seat next to him.

"Plural?" he had a suspicion he knew what she wanted to talk about.

"Finn and Kol," she stated with a small smile, it reeked of hopefulness.

He held back a grimace, "no witch would assist us."

"Have you even tried?" she was leaking condemnation and he found it exceedingly annoying.

"Have you? Or were you too busy chasing after the cure with the people that killed them?" he intended to hurt her; she had betrayed them all and yet she had the gall to speak to him in such a manner.

Her eyes momentarily widened in shock before they began to glisten, tears building behind them.

He wasn't sorry, not even a little.

"Could we try?" she asked softly.

"Perhaps," he said considering and the more he thought about it the more attractive it became. It was unlikely to succeed, but they did already have among their party an individual with intimate experience and such a task could serve as the perfect distraction for Elijah who was undoubted the better liked in witches circles. Yes, it could work well for him and were it to actually succeed...

He turned his focus to Elijah and noted that he was moments from reanimation - not feeling inclined to continue their "discussion" at present he quickly snapped his neck once more before turning back to his sister. "Elijah and the Bennett witch can assist you," he told her. She leaped across and squeezed him tightly.

"What if I don't want to help you bring them back?" the witch asked.

"You want to be Kol's sole companion?" he asked her suppressing a smile.

"I'm sure I could find a spell to get rid of him," she muttered sullenly.

"But as luck would have it you already know the spell to bring him back," this time he smiled widely.

"She can't," an irate sounding Caroline interjected. "She died bringing Jeremy back."

He closed his eyes for a moment and then opening them meet her fiery ones, "I wasn't going to make her sweetheart, we have witches on the payroll." He could literally see the anger bleeding out of her, she gave him a small nod before her mouth twitched into a small frown.

"What if it kills them?" she voiced a concern he didn't share.

What did it matter to him if a few witches died if his brother...brothers, if his living siblings insisted on bringing Finn back too...returned? It didn't, but he got the distinct impression Caroline wouldn't react well to such an answer. "We will do our best to insure that won't happen love."

Rebekah shot him a disbelieving look, but Caroline smiled which he took as a positive sign. He watched as she turned around to return to her seat next to the strapped in Katherine, her blonde curls bouncing in a way he found enticing - much like the rest of her. An answering smile claimed his features, his eyes never leaving Caroline's form. Until, that is, he heard his sister snort beside him.

"Please," she muttered under her breath so that only he would hear her.

Still, he couldn't help but notice his sister was smiling as well.

**Back in NOLA next chapter.**


End file.
